There aren’t many things in the world that will bring together people of every gender, race or creed, but one of those things is a new album from Sturgill Simpson – well, Johnny Blue Skies, that is.
On July 12th, Johnny Blue Skies, the alias Simpson is under at the moment, released his new record, Passage Du Desir. Now, we can debate all day on why Simpson is going as Johnny Blue Skies, but I’m going to choose to skip over that because it’s hard to focus on that when there is new Sturgill music in the world now. If you’re a fan of his, you know how long we’ve waited and wished for some kind of news on what is to come, so this album finally dropping is something to celebrate.
First and foremost, Passage Du Desir is unskippable, plain and simple. Like literally every record Simpson (uh… “Johnny”) has released in the past, this one is great to fantastic. Each track is quality in its own way, but there were some that stood out for me. If The Sun Never Rises Again has almost a dark, beachy feel with a groovy bassline that bounces along with a chill drum pattern. Scooter Blues is built upon an old school, plucky sound that Simpson puts his own style on, and Jupiter’s Faerie is a straight-up beautifully composed song, possibly the best on the record.
You can’t discuss Passage Du Desir without mentioning the production and sonic element to it. The record has a very uniquely lowkey aesthetic, like sitting in an empty, damp room with nothing but your thoughts and this album – but unsure what your thoughts are, like you’re wrestling between melancholy and indifferent. The record is beautiful inside and out, being soulful when it needs to be and capturing a comfortable, yet spacey feel.
Whether he wants to go back to Sturgill Simpson, or he’s Johnny Blue Skies from here on out, we’re just excited that he’s back. God bless you, what’s-his-name. Go give Passage Du Desir a listen now!