REVIEW: Johnnie Mikel — Purgatory (LP)
Smooth and melodic throughout his new album but wonderfully rough-edged in the emotional statements that require such a tone, Johnnie Mikel’s vocal is reason enough to pick up Purgatory this February everywhere smart indie music is being sold and streamed. Comprised of songs like the introspective “I Hope It Hurts,” pulsating “Fallen Angel,” stunningly soft “One,” and undeniably angst-ridden “Anyone But Me,” Purgatory invites us into its arms with self-awareness only to turn into a commentarial showcase when we’re least expecting it to. There’s a sense of personality that shines through every stitch of audio here — from the savvy “Revolution” to the blushing “Human Level” — and among the underground content I’ve had the chance to review in the first chapter of 2023, Johnnie Mikel’s new work ranks among some of the most well-rounded to come across my desk thus far.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/johnniemikel/
There’s much more to this record than honey sweet vocals alone. Truth be told, some of the tracks here, like “Nothing to Lose” and “Vulnerability” have as many instrumental complexities as they do sublimely personal lyrical content. I don’t get the impression from Mikel that he has any interest in conveying his narratives through a single-channel format; if he did, he certainly wouldn’t be going out of his way to structure Purgatory with as complicated a fluidity as he did. There’s no pressing the stop button once you get started on this tracklist — Mikel demands a reaction out of us around every turn, and whether intending to do so or not, winds up producing something that could be interpreted as both surreal and stately in the best ways possible.
The title track, “Anyone But Me” and “Obsessed With U” have an angst-ridden singer/songwriter vibe that I would love to hear this artist explore with a little more gusto in future endeavors. One can’t help but think of Death Cab-style melodicism in these tracks as well as the lush sonic textures of mid-2010s surreal pop music, which produced scores of acts who experimented with some of the same influences in their music that our leading man is flirting with in a fair chunk of this album. Johnnie Mikel has quite the intriguing patchwork of artistry to display for the audience here, and given a little more time in the spotlight, I think he’s going to share even more surprises with us through his poignant output.
DOWNLOAD LINK: https://ffm.to/jm_purgatory
If this LP is just a taste of what singer/songwriter Johnnie Mikel has in store for listeners around the globe in the years to come, I will be paying close attention to his work from here on out. Whether it be the fragile harmonies of “Playing Rockstar” or the crunch of “Vulnerability,” this is one record that does have a little bit of everything packed inside its tracklist. There are a lot of interesting players coming out of the woodwork right now in the underground this winter, but if you’re looking for some reliable pop-rock thunder from an organic source, you really can’t go wrong with Purgatory and the talented artist responsible for its creation.
Colin Jordan
