For an incredibly warm and buoyant piece of soft/folk rock, we have a delightfully intimate cut from Roy Johnson’s brand-new full-length studio offering; ‘Ocean Blue’ from his 3rd album ‘Appealing To Angels’.
A singer and songwriter who calls Saint Charles, Illinois home, Ray Johnson’s previous songs covered by Sistra have all been immediate darlings to us. Blending a simplistic, straight-to-heart songwriting approach with thought-provoking lyrics, warm, usually minimal arrangements, and this time with booming, deep-hitting bass, ‘Ocean Blue’ is a delight to listen to on hi-fi sub-woofers.
Moreover, the song’s silky acoustic guitar strums, matched with a commandeering, tambourine-led beat create a flowery atmosphere that would call any campfire in the English Midlands, mid-70s and surrounded by peace-loving hippies home. Johnson’s melodic vocals are direct and feature a particular honesty to their delivery that far outmatches his somewhat limited range, making the singing very easy to fall for.
‘Ocean Blue’ quickly joined the rest of Ray’s music that we were easily smitten by. This peaceful piece of acoustic Americana, touching on folk and with a hint of soft rock thrown in for good measure is a soothing piece of music that further establishes Johnson as a capable songwriter and arranger who just knows how to spin an accessible melody on top of heartfelt chords.