Altsounds - John Garrison - Departures [Album]

The album title itself, "Departures," is drawn from John Garrison's personal experience as he leaves the musical comfort zone of London, and sets off on a personal journey to the big New York City. As with any artist who would venture out to a strange land to write and record an album, a lot of these songs (If not all) come fuelled with emotion and musical brilliance as Garrison himself seems to grow and experiment as a writer and artist.

"Departures" is something of a musical diary of Garrison's journey to the States, documented in a musical form. Tracks like ‘I Leave on Friday’ and ‘Lets Run’ stress the impact this personal adventure has made on his musical growth. This album is a great example of the acoustic based genre as a whole, offering soft and chilling compositions. John Garrisons mature approach to music is nothing short of impressive.

For fans of artists such as James Blunt or even Elvis Costello - this album is a must. It may not provide anything new we haven’t seen from the Acoustic genre, sticking primarily to the basics of piano, guitar and subtle drums, this album is still going to be something you will want in your music library.

Most artists get lost in themselves and forget their musical roots, and John Garrison seems to have made an effort to stay true to his British roots, whilst at the same time using his new experience to better his sound, not cloud it.

Fans of James Garrison will not be disappointed, and "Departures" will secure his place as one of the best the UK has to offer.