John Craigie (from the album Pagan Church

John Craigie (from the album Pagan Church

John Craigie (from the album Pagan Church available as a self-release) (by Danny McCloskey)
Backed by TK and the Holy Know-Nothings, Portland, Oregon-based songman John Craigie opens the doors to Pagan Church, his latest release. The song cycle begins with an open letter that equally bares and protects a heart with “Damn My Love”. Mirroring the times we live in,John Craigie explained the sonic differences between his pandemic written recording and Pagan Church as ‘the music is always evolving and devolving with each new record. With my last album Mermaid Salt, I really wanted to explore the sound of isolation and solitude as everyone was heading inside. With this record, I wanted to record the sound of everyone coming back out’. John Craigie delivers his songs with honey-warm vocals, backing his tracks with a determined boogie as he requests a little love “While I’m Down” as he wraps the reveries of “Where It’s From” with quieter acoustic-driven rhythms.
 
The title track for Pagan Church rolls on a dreamy groove as John Craigie sings/speaks over drifting sonics. For John, the Pagan Church moniker claims more than one descriptor as he recalled ‘Taylor Kingman (TK) suggested the title Pagan Church to me. I liked the multiple meanings. The album cover shows all of us in front of Laurelthirst Public House in Portland, which is an important gathering place for musicians in the area. It’s almost a church in a way. However, the song has an entirely different meaning’. A raggedy guitar riff leads that way into “Viking Sex” as Pagan Church holds a meeting for the “California Sober”, tenderly picks out a goodbye tune for “Sandra” and travels a rhythmic rattle for “Judas”. Echoey piano notes begin a walk of shame as John Craigie finds his way home in “Walking Guilty” while he pens a lost love letter in “Good for You” while TK and the Holy Know-Nothings put down a persistent beat as they cross “Grand Junction”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Listen and buy the music of John Craigie from AMAZON
 
For more info, check out the John Craigie website