Barely Noticeable
Self-Released, 2020
9/10
Formerly of the ‘90s rockers The Carpetbaggers, these days John Magnuson is on his own, and with guest spots from Peter Anderson, Stephen Murray, Ray Barnard, Paul Bergen, Dave Boquist, Alissa Jacobsen, Becky Kapell, Ian Nygaard, and George Turklebaum, he pens 13 well thought out tracks.
“I Trust You Burned Up” opens the listen with both grit and melody, as Magnuson’s raw voice is complemented by some rootsy flavor, and “I Stand Corrected” follows with breezy acoustic guitar and cozy Americana that flows with warmth.
Further along, “Out On A Limb” embraces some folk ideas via the eloquent storytelling and graceful, acoustic demeanor, while “I Can’t Leave Well Enough Alone” is a perfectly delivered harmonic meshing of country, folk and Americana.
Landing close to the end, the rhythmic and sing-along friendly “I Don’t Mind If I Do” is instantly memorable, and “Only In Dreams” exits with a distinct intimacy that’s dreamy, poetic and heartfelt.
Magnuson’s name certainly deserves to be spoken in the same sentence as Minneapolis legends like Westerberg and Louris, and there’s talk of a companion album to this one, which I’ll certainly be spending time with.
Travels well with: Robby Vee- Double Spin; The Scarlet Goodbye- Hope’s Eternal