There’s a certain breed of musician known more for both their prolificacy and their consistency. Artists from Lou Barlow to Robert Pollard to Wesley Willis are known for cranking out albums with label-defying abandon. While their catalogues are impressive, when you spin them back-to-back, they all sound the same. Will Johnson may not be as prolific as these cats, but what he lacks in quantity he makes up for in variety.
In addition to releasing hand-plucked acoustic solo material under his own name, Johnson has an orchestral pop outfit, South San Gabriel, and a full-on rock project, Centro-Matic. For his latest outing, Dual Hawks, all three personas are on display on two ambitious CDs. I’ve always preferred Centro-Matic’s amped-up take on Neil Young-style chugging, and that stands true here. Johnson’s gravelly falsetto drawl is pushed to the limits with these even-tempoed rockers, and lyrically he’s stronger than ever. South San Gabriel is considerably more subdued, but equally powerful. While Centro-Matic whips you into a frenzy, South San Gabriel breaks your heart with a liberal use of strings, more ambitious production and epic arrangements. Taken separately, each half of Dual Hawks is a success on all levels. Taken together, they’re a stunning portrait of one of today’s most underrated artists.
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