Reclinerland – “Reclinerland” Sampler Mix
Reclinerland is the moniker of NYC-based Mike Johnson, who, like Elvis Costello or David Bowie before him, not only knows how to write good pop songs, but pushes and pulls the pop idiom to extremes. The outstanding example of which is “Meet me Later in the file Room” written and performed with only a string quartet and voice. A classically trained musician, Johnson melds his understanding of music theory with pop intuition and cinematic lyricism to create a brilliant sophomore recording. Reclinerland opens with whispering guitars and Johnson’s pitch-perfect voice gradually building into a guitar and organ maelstrom. This momentum continues through the driving power pop of “Eight” and “19th Century Boy” to recover with the intimate “As Paranoid As I Am” and the indelible “Vegas Remains”. As such, Reclinerland defies categorization and listens like an epic journey: full of twists and turns, moments of longing and reflection juxtaposed against adrenaline bursts of fight-or-flight power pop recalling a gamut of comparisons including The Red House Painters, Luna, The New Pornographers, and Nick Drake. Johnson is one of those rare performers that can hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. With an utterly charming and easy-going stage presence, his adeptly finger picked ballads co-exist with his rollicking pop numbers to create a dynamic and memorable experience. Having won over fans on both coasts, Johnson seeks to bridge the gap with his latest version of Reclinerland.
Miss Haze 3:48
Eight (edit) 2:50
19th Century Boy 5:35
As Paranoid As I Am 5:00
Vegas Remains 5:16
Meet Me Later in The File Room 3:57
Dirty and Clean 5:22
Pound Coins 8:24
Yours 4:08
[Pears] 4:23
