John Garrison - Departures

Budapest was one of my favourite short-time band. They've released only two albums, Too Blind To Hear (2004) and Head Towards The Dawn (2005). And then, unfortunately, they broke up in 2006. Since then, the only member who's got an active career in music is the lead singer, John Garrison. In order to do that, he moved to New York, and this fact defines most of his subsequent work.

Under the label of Johnny Vic Records, he released Above The Cosmos in 2007, featuring some songs from Budapest's demos, such as Abdicate, Bugs to the Light and Below the Radar, along all new work, like the awesome Walking on Broadway and Happy Hour.
Two years later, John has just released his new solo album, Departures. As the last album, it also features some songs previously recorded in Budapest's demos. This album shows a more mature Garrison, more distant from his Budapest era, presenting more audacious songs, but never leaving his style aside. The sinergy of guitar, piano, drums, and Garrison's pleasant voice is perfect! It's a very thematic album.

1. Let's Run: Running away. There's no way better to start an album called Departures! It's a happy song, with an outstanding bass line and guitar riffs. I just loved it!! Somehow, it sounds me like and U2 song, still with Garrison signature!!
   
2. I Leave on Friday: A very good song about leaving someone. The lyrics are not among Garrison's top ones, but the melody is perfect.
   
3. So Close: One of Budapest's demo, this has a very similar arrangement to John's old band version, but despite this fact, it's a very beautiful song, one of the best of this album. With great mastery, John tell us how to live the moment and not care to anything else!
4. Footprints: Although musically interesting, this song has a very repetitive pace... In a good or bad way, it gets stuck in your head! I'm not a fan of this song in particular, but it's got something nice! I just can't define what it is...
5. Alexander & Annabel: One of my favourites! It tells the story of a love that dies... Even though its sadness, it's a very beautiful song!! So bittersweet...
   
6. Once Around the Block: It's a very nice song, with beautiful lyrics and very good melody. The lyrics and melody matches perfectly in its sadness!! A Budapest-like song...
   
7. Rendezvous: Another quite happy song, about a second meeting. It features an interesting "wah-ed" guitar during all the song, but it's possibly the most forgettable song of the album.
8. Lost: Musically, the best song of the album. It shows how mature Garrison is, throught the perfect sync between the instruments and vocals. Its arrangement is different from all his previous works, and it is definitely brilliant. Undoubtly, the best song of Departures.
9. Cold Coffee: One thing that I love in Garrison's songs is his ability to show us how he feels. In Cold Coffee, if we close our eyes, we can see exactly what happens, and think how it's hard to let go, even though it's for good... We can feel his sadness and reluctance, maybe because most of us have been through this once...
10. I Want You: Another beautiful song, about how good it is to be loved, and love in return!
11. Go: A sad song about being being loved and not deserving it. It's a simple song, with no outstanding bass line or guitar effects... it's just Garrison's voice and a piano, with a violin effect and some drum, which suits the lyrics to a tee. A very emotive song, one of my favourite, simply perfect!!
12. 2nd for the 1st Time: This song is the best description of John's transition from Leamington Spa to New York. The lyrics close the album perfectly, showing us that departures are hard, but may lead us to a good place after all!!