Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Hobo Johnson, Reprise Records/Warner Records 2019.
This is the second release from Sacramento artist Hobo Johnson following his debut album The Rise Of Hobo Johnson.
The metaphorical title is about all the things that Hobo has gone through from living out of his ’94 Toyota Corolla to the explosion of his music and living the life of a professional musician.
It involves a lot of falling: falling in love, falling out of love, falling apart, being tripped up by things you haven’t considered and falling. In other words, the ups and downs of life.
Hobo Johnson blurs the lines between hip-hop, rap, singing and poetry.
Most of what we hear on the album comes straight from Hobo’s laptop.
The Fall Of Hobo Johnson was presaged by the release of a string of tracks and accompanying video clips including the lead single Typical Story which was produced by Jason Evigan of NPR.
Typical Story has been streamed over 10 million times on multiple platforms and as an opening track it introduces the crazy, but undeniably funny, underdog protagonist with his addictive personality and quirky thoughts.
Other tracks that have already been released include Uglykid and Suburu Crosstrek XV (produced by Ryan Lewis).
When Hobo Johnson performs live he is supported by his band The Lovemakers and they have already played some of the biggest festivals in America and the UK including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and both the Reading and Leeds festivals.
Earlier this year he performed Typical Story on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
I found this album really interesting.
It’s a sort of bizarre concept album that uses the tools of the 21st century to tell the story of its protagonist’s strange life.
Hobo Johnson and his band will be touring Australia this summer visiting most states. Tickets available at www.secretsounds.com or www.xiiitouring.com.
