Jonny Porter comes full circle on the “Look Out” EP

The career of Jonny Porter comes full circle on the Look Out EP, with a personal look into the life of a working musician in trying times, after going through his own battles with drug addiction. With Look Out comes a fresh perspective following up Following his departure from Staylefish and his well-received debut 11 track album Grave Bird But in the process of picking up where he left off, there’s some in between life in which this EP helps get off his chest. The vocals are heartfelt, clean but also dirty in the right places, and the instrumental work all done solely by Porter is outstanding.

MORE ON JONNY PORTER: http://www.jonnyportermusic.com/

Seeing life through the eyes of the artist is a relatively normal thing, but it depends on how they base the songs and present it on an album, and most of Look Out seems autobiographical but not in any off putting ways. Perhaps the most serious track gets out of the way first with “Burning Up, Coming Home” making a sticky impression that some rest was needed, and it comes out in both the words and music. The almost country style ballad gets top marks for songwriting and drama factors, as it smolders away with a haunting ambience.

A matter of only six tracks to get into doesn’t leave any time to waste as the wonderful “Weekend Accident” comes blasting through the spears and you instantly knows Porter is making each song equally count, and that is the mark of a consistently good release. Out of nowhere, suddenly he’s all over the place with a bouncy percussive gem that simply rocks. The interest picks up with every note and every word of this amazing track to be proud of as it proves what a superior musician Porter is without exaggeration or hyperbole to debate it.

Now that things are really rocking, Porter retains more of his country roots in the title track “Look Out” which centers mostly around blues interludes with Porter getting a word in edgewise. This is a song that is definitely about someone, but who that might be is anyone’s guess, but it does point to people bringing the world down. Getting out of the way and looking out for your own is the message, and to stay diligent in hard times on this awesome track.

“Back To The Rats” is still a loud and expressive tune, but more or less of the same standard is kept throughout and it’s another winning track you can’t deny the infectiousness of. In fact, this track stands up to any on the record to my ears, I think it’s great stuff and I am glad to be turned onto Jonny Porter’s music. This doesn’t stop with “Heathen” digging down deep about the pace of life and not being the only one living that way one and the abrasive opinion that nobody cares  anyway.  “Let Them Save Me” closes the record with more of that sweet slide guitar and witty lyrics taking the mighty release out with world class songwriting and musicianship.

Mindy McCall