John Vincent, known professionally as John Vincent III, crafts sonic landscapes that are as vast and open as the American West, yet intimately personal. His track “More than Alive” serves as a perfect introduction to his minimalist approach, relying on the bare essentials of acoustic guitar, subtle vocals, and delicate touches of fretless bass and ambient guitar. This sparseness is not a weakness, but rather a strength, mirroring the solitary introspection that permeates his music. “Time has changed us all in different ways / a lot of mistakes made,” Vincent muses, his words hanging in the air like dust motes in a sunbeam. This quiet contemplation, born from the hypnotic rhythm of the road, is central to Vincent’s artistic exploration as he journeys through America, seeking a deeper understanding of himself and his place in the world. “I wanted a sign from god / to tell me I’m more than alive,” he confesses, laying bare his vulnerability and yearning.
Drawing parallels to Questlove’s insightful observation in Creative Quest about unease signaling deeper processing, John Vincent III’s new album, Songs for the Canyon, certainly offers moments that might initially feel unsettling. Some tracks possess a raw, almost unfinished quality, while others begin with piano chords that verge on cinematic melodrama. However, this willingness to push boundaries and explore different sonic textures is precisely where Vincent’s artistry shines.
Ultimately, Songs for the Canyon achieves a compelling equilibrium. It’s an album that warmly invites listeners into its world, rewarding patience and attentiveness. While not striving for flawless perfection, John Vincent III’s courageous embrace of both sparseness and emotional vulnerability is not only commendable but genuinely refreshing in today’s often overproduced music landscape.
Tracks like “That’s Just the Way It Is, Babe” showcase another facet of John Vincent’s musical personality. Here, a gentle, jangly guitar provides the backdrop for lyrics that evoke a sense of philosophical resignation and acceptance. “Let’s go walking into the light / take a couple on the chin,” Vincent sings, his voice carrying a wistful charm. “Nobody else in sight / that’s how it’s gonna be, babe.” In these moments, echoes of Tim Buckley’s introspective and melancholic West Coast psych-folk, particularly from albums like Happy Sad, resonate, highlighting Vincent’s connection to a rich lineage of singer-songwriters.
On more reverb-laden pieces such as “On and On” and “Money and My Pride,” John Vincent III’s delicate, almost whispered vocals and dreamy soundscapes bring to mind the captivating beauty of The Antlers’ Green to Gold. This sonic similarity underscores Vincent’s ability to create immersive and emotionally resonant atmospheres. However, the album isn’t without its minor stumbles. The upbeat, twee-folk of “Bluebird Singing,” for instance, feels slightly out of sync with the overall introspective mood, perhaps a touch too saccharine, like a generic soundtrack to a sunny California postcard. It’s a stylistic experiment that, while perhaps well-intentioned, doesn’t quite integrate seamlessly into the album’s cohesive sonic tapestry.
Yet, even these moments of slight misdirection contribute to the album’s overall charm, showcasing John Vincent III’s willingness to experiment and avoid predictability. The open-road anthem “Lincoln, NB” brings the album back to its core themes of travel and self-confrontation. “Paranoia’s just a place to me now,” Vincent sings, his voice blending seamlessly with the folksy acoustic chords and subtle electric guitar flourishes that drive the song’s gentle country shuffle. Here, the understated arrangements, the warm indie-folk production, and the raw honesty of Vincent’s songwriting coalesce perfectly, creating a feeling of comfortable familiarity, like slipping into a well-worn, favorite hoodie. Songs for the Canyon ultimately embraces its inherent beauty, offering listeners a peaceful and reflective listening experience, solidifying John Vincent III’s place as a compelling voice in contemporary indie-folk music.
John Vincent III’s Songs for the Canyon was released on Nov. 17 via Concord Records.
