Katelyn Law
Raised Rowdy Contributor
If you like great country music, then you are going to love Thomson, Ga., native, Daniel E. Johnson’s latest album release titled All We Ever Knew. This album displays a wide range of emotions, ranging from good time songs all the way to heartbreak. The project features six tunes that were all co-written by Daniel himself along with a few other songwriters, a couple of which are no strangers to Raised Rowdy, such as Ryan Nelson and Jordan Fletcher.
The title track, “All We Ever Knew,” plays out the timeline of a relationship in a slow-paced lifestyle. Listeners are taken on a journey of a small-town fling from when all it took was “a shot of something and a fifth of luck” to the end of the romance and wishing to get back “to all we ever knew”.
“American Hearts” is a fun, laid back song that makes you want to close your eyes, hold up a lighter and sway. This is exactly the type of song that you could get lost in.
The sultry “Here and Now”, describes the feelings of wanting to live in the moment, turn your phone off, and disappear from reality with your significant other. After all, “You can’t just build a fire, light a spark and put it out”.
A real 90s country feel, “Because We Could” is as catchy as they come. The guitar riffs and melody will have you bobbing your head to the beat. The hook has me picturing an adolescent recounting why they did something they probably shouldn’t have, saying with a shrug of their shoulders, “Because We Could.”
“Down 20” changes gears and gives us a painful look at pressing the pedal down, trying to outrun the ghost of a romance that is no more. What’s better therapy than blaring some country music and hitting the gas?
The last track on the project, “Cinderella,” is a personal favorite of mine. I’m sure the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is the childhood fairytale. However, after the first verse it is obvious that is not the direction that the song is going. In fact, Daniel paints a very different depiction of what the princess, glass slipper, love story would have looked like if he had written it. I admire a song that will make my heart hurt. This one delivers just that.
All We Ever Knew is a must listen album on this new release Friday. I love this new project of Daniel’s and I am always ready to cheer on a fellow Georgia Southern Eagle. Daniel is gearing up to hit the road to promote this new record. Be sure to check him out on his socials at Daniel E. Johnson to see when he’s heading to a city near you!
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