Establishing the mood with an Americana guitar soundscape featuring astral motifs and a demonstration of instrumental mastery, Johnny Ranck opens his self-titled EP with a track called Baby, Come Back. Johnny sings, “Hey look who’s right back, on the wrong side of the tracks, facing down the cold hard facts of life, once again…”
The opus expands into a self-realized anthem rooted in poetic prowess and philosophical sensibilities. The lyrics take accountability but also manifest with the hook and title of the track which serves as a call to human connection as Johnny sings for his baby to come back. We deeply connect with the timeless nature of the song, and could imagine this in a film like the Oscar-winning, One Battle After Another.
Next up is Can You Feel The Buffalo, which opens with intricacy and emotional warmth from the fiddle, before Johnny shares a tale of nostalgia. This song reminds us of early Bob Dylan, especially in part to Johnny’s unique brand of storytelling.
When Will I Stop Cryin’ (Over You) kicks off with an almost onomatopoeic energy akin to tears falling. Once again, the lyrics are self-realized and we could imagine this in a reboot of a film like Thelma and Louise. We love the authenticity that Johnny channels with his prose and the overarching message is actually super relatable. This is also exactly the type of song that we could expect to be played on FIP Radio, France. The instrumentation is exceptional here.
For some context, Johnny Ranck provides vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and percussion. Nadia Axakowsky and Marie Bradshaw share backing vocals, whilst Heather Everett performs bass, Dennis Harrington slays on the fiddle and bass, and Muskrat Jones (Brady Henrie) shares his skill on the pedal steel guitar with Daniel Young on drums and percussion. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Daniel Young at Orchard Studio in North Salt Lake, UT.
This brings us to Make You Mine, which opens with a high emotional quotient as Johnny Rank shares his vulnerability and soulful nature. He turns to God, seeks change and eventually wishes to connect with his muse. The vocal harmonies from Nadia and Marie are sublime and the concept of the song feels truly timeless and relatable.
Finally, we experience Winners & Losers which opens with intricate arpeggios and a captivating pedal steel performance before Johnny sings, “There ain’t no use in me hanging around, trying to write a new to same old sound, trying to grow a new crop on the same dry ground or still looking for the answer that you already found…”. The metaphors that come to life are fantastic, and the songwriting is some of the best that we have experienced.
Across these five songs, Johnny gives us a glimpse into a world shaped by wide-open spaces, hard-earned lessons and the real yet complicated nature of being human. Raised in Utah, he spent summers and weekends working alongside his father on a ranch in Wyoming’s Bridger Valley. You can definitely hear that landscape in the music.
There is a real sense of place, but also a timeless quality that reaches beyond country music. Drawing from mid-century honky-tonk, Bakersfield country and the folk-rock spirit of the 60s and 70s, Johnny keeps things organic and unvarnished.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added songs from the Johnny Ranck EP to our New Music Spotlight playlist and TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from the talented, rising artist.