Category: CD Reviews

A mood of wistfulness and gentle sadness pervades Under Gainsborough Skies, the third album from Suffolk born, Colchester based singer-songwriter, Ady Johnson. The melodies are gentle and laidback, with a nostalgic air, but the lyrics make it clear that this is often laced with regret.

Ady is a classically trained guitarist, and his playing is beautiful throughout. His style is rooted in Americana – old timey with touches of blues and ragtime. The lyrics though, are inspired by the life and landscape of the Essex-Suffolk border. Under Gainsborough Skies was recorded live in the studio, with vintage equipment, giving it an immediate, paired down feel.

The album title comes from the opening track, ‘Foolin’ Around (with you)’ that opens with the lines “Under Gainsborough skies, Reflected in your eyes”, The tune is gentle and laconic, with lyrics that evoke the beauty of East Anglian landscapes. It all seems lovely, until it becomes clear that the relationship being described is now in the past. That wistful mood carries on into ‘The Old Child’s Chair.’ Ostensibly, this is about a chair, a childhood object, newly restored for its owner, who is wondering what to do with it. But there is more meaning to it, and the chair serves as a metaphor for the passing of time and the regrets that brings.

By contrast, ‘My Honeydew’ is a song of contentment, where love seems to be going well. It’s a dreamy, old timey song, that brings to me thoughts of a relaxing summer evening, A flugelhorn adds extra depth and contrast.  After that moment of happiness, the quicker, anxious tune of ‘O, For a Time Machine,’ announces another change in mood. Here, the protagonist dreams of going back in times to do things better. I’m sure we’ve all felt like that at times.

Ady’s classical training is most obvious on ‘Wash Away, Blow Away.’ The lush and intricate guitar playing gives this track a slightly haunting feel. The descriptions of nature in the lyrics are more threatening than in the opening track and lockdown is referred to, along with a yearning for release. More pleasing visions of nature are found in ‘The Runner.’ It’s another gentle tune, with the flugelhorn returning. The runner of the title is not so much a person, as a metaphor for elements of life, always pressing forward but never quite satisfied. More gentle melancholy follows in ‘Swing By,’ with its reflections on a lost love.

On what is quite a wordy album, ‘Little B’ provides a contrast by being an instrumental track. It’s short but very enjoyable – beautifully played on guitar and with a nice ragtime vibe. Lyrics then return on the blues inflected ‘Lazy Dog.’ It’s another gently melancholic track, where the protagonist laments a love that was allowed to slip away, while taking comfort in the sleepy dog of the title. Is it a real dog though, or a representation of something deeper? I’m not sure, but if you listen to the album, you can decide for yourself. The Bluesy vibes continue on the final track, ‘Friends to the End.’ Despite the positive sounding title, things have not worked out – “So it’s farewell my dear friend, No, I never thought it would come to this end“, Then again, perhaps this unexpected end is the one referred to in the title. As so often on this album, lyrics that initially seem straightforward turn out to have hidden meanings, that we ponder for ourselves.

Under Gainsborough Skies is a quiet understated sort of an album, with a deliberately paired back feel. On first listening, it might seem like a pleasant and easy listen, but the hidden meanings and sadnesses contained in the songs reveal themselves more with each playing. It’s gentle, very reflective and doesn’t make any grand statements, but I’m sure that was never the intention. Perhaps not a likely blockbuster, but with much to appreciate, in its collection of thoughtful and beautifully performed songs.

Graham Brown

Artist’s website: adyjohnson.co.uk

‘Foolin’ Around (With You)’: