ALBUM REVIEW: Along for the Ride on John Vincent III’s ‘Songs for the Canyon’

Sometimes a sketch is enough.

John Vincent III’s “More than Alive” is little more than acoustic guitar and gentle vocals. There’s a little fretless bass here, some effected guitar ambience there, but the song itself is as sparse as the Texas road it takes place upon and as intimate as the cabin of the car traversing it. “Time has changed us all in different ways / a lot of mistakes made,” Vincent reflects over the quiet song’s even-quieter bridge. Road hypnosis leads to introspection as Vincent travels America, looking for himself. “I wanted a sign from god / to tell me I’m more than alive.”

John Vincent III (photo by Kaitlyn Renee)

As Questlove writes in his excellent book Creative Quest, “If something makes you very uneasy, especially if it’s something that’s being done in a creative field where you have experience, pay attention. Your mind is telling you that there’s more to process than just your surface reaction.” On Vincent’s new Songs for the Canyon, there are moments of unease for sure. Some songs sound underdeveloped, while others open with sappy, cinematic piano.

Overall, though, Songs is a balanced record, one that welcomes you into its world if you let it. It’s not perfect, sure, but Vincent’s willingness to risk sappiness and minimalism is commendable and even refreshing.

“Let’s go walking into the light / take a couple on the chin,” Vincent sings over twee jangle on “That’s Just the Way It Is, Babe.” “Nobody else in sight / that’s how it’s gonna be, babe.” Here and in a few other spots, Vincent evokes the pensive, philosophical West Coast psych-folk of Tim Buckley’s Happy Sad.

On reverb-drenched numbers like “On and On” and “Money and My Pride,” Vincent’s lilting, whispery voice and sonic prettyscapes nod to The Antlers’ gorgeous Green to Gold. There are missteps, though. Bouncing twee-folk tune “Bluebird Singing” feels a little too cute and vanilla, like a California tourism ad. It’s a stiff new pair of jeans: flashy maybe, but not a great fit.

“Paranoia’s just a place to me now,” Vincent sings on open-road song “Lincoln, NB.” Folksy acoustic chords and tasteful electric guitar ride a propulsive country shuffle as Vincent explores the album’s strongest theme: traveling physically, but not escaping yourself. In this moment, the balance between understated arrangements, indie-folk production, and confessional honesty feels like a cozy old hoodie. It’s OK to make a pretty record, and Songs for the Canyon is a pretty, peaceful listen.

John Vincent III’s Songs for the Canyon is out Nov. 17 on Concord Records.