Here's what the critics have said about the Johnsmith
'Break Me Open' CD!!....

Dirty Linen Feb/Mar 2007

A few dents, a few dings, some potholes in the road, a flash of joy, a drop of grief and a walk down a country lane - Johnsmith observes and lives life in the midst of living, learning, dying, growing, forgiving, celebrating, and moving on. Though he's a fine songwriter on his own, it is Johnsmith's cover of Darrell Scott's "Love's Not Through With Me" that could be the centerpiece of the album's theme: hope as an effort of will as much as a matter of grace. He went to Nashville to record this, which means he was able to include the talents of Scott, Byron House on bass, Kenny Malone on drums, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, and Tim O'Brien on mandolin and vocals. Some songs are stronger than others, of course, but it's a good package with a lot of thoughtful material. Other notable tracks are "Back to the Mystery" and "Honest Truth".
- Review by Kerry Dexter

Music Spectrum E-Zine Jan 2007 issue.

After telling you that I like Scanlon's album partly due to the contribution of Tompson and Malone, you may be able to guess why I like Johnsmith's Break Me Open. Tompson, Malone, and yes, Scott, lend tremendous support to Johnsmith's tender-but-forceful folk.

"Back to the Mystery" comes out of that same place that captures the imagination of Peter Mayer-staring into the unknowns of the sky, hearing that hymnic folk melody. The country blues of "Pothole Season" resonates with any Midwestern driver-an extended metaphor for looking for hope beyond the edges of the bumps.

"Messy Thing" is a bluesy folk stomp through the difficulty of love with a rejuvenating spirit in Suzi Ragsdale's call-and-response Gospel harmony vocal. The Appalachian blues of "Silver Creek" shows Johnsmith's storytelling ability-and an appropriate song to use in my own Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, since our Silver Creek is under constant threat of pollution from farm run off. Johnsmith reminisces about his Silver Creek's place in his memories, running through life with a giving spirit.

Besides Scott, Tompson, and Malone, Pauline Scanlon's fiddler Stuart Duncan lends a hand on Johnsmith's album as well. He delivers a funereal "Amazing Grace" introduction and motif to "Cold Cold Ground." The song was written in memory of his brother, Davey. While the spiritual answers in this song don't necessarily resonate with Gospel hope, the song puts to tight harmonies the oft-unspoken anger at the seemingly pointlessness of death.

Break Me Open also includes a cover of Darrell Scott's "Love's Not Through Me"-a song that finds Johnsmith in his most tender folk voice. Johnsmith covers LJ Booth's "Box Elder" with that same tender flair-a heart-breaking tune combining images of a box elder invasion and the crucifixion of Christ.

While covers of Scott and Booth are ample tributes, the cover song is most revealing tribute. "Lightnin' Hopkins tapped his foot," and Johnsmith lets his foot tap in that same way, a blues prayer, a blues stomp on the edge of town, a singer/songwriter who can name the time of his conversion: seeing Hopkins-if only in the mind's eye.
- by Benjamin Squires

"Sing Out Magazine Fall 2006 issue.

Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter Johnsmith continues deepening and maturing as a songwriter. His songs push forward with a driving force that breaks open barriers to the listener. Perhaps he best expresses his credo in the opening song, "Back to the Mystery." The song is something of a sequel to some previous songs that explore the miracle of life and experiencing life to the fullest. He includes the requisite number of love songs, but from a fresh perspective, such as "Pothole Season," which compares a broken heart with the winter-crumbled road that caves to potholes. He also nails love for what it is in "Messy Thing." "Cold Cold Ground" is a somber, moving song about the passing of his brother, Davey. On a happier note, "Silver Creek" burbles with joy about that special creek of fond memories. Johnsmith dispenses with the "only my songs" singer-songwriter conceit to include songs by Darrell Scott, L.J. Booth, and Alan Bell, all of which are superb additions to the CD. In fact, Booth's "Box Elder" is a wrenchingly powerful stand-out about the life of a tree. Bell's "So Here's to You" makes a most warm, fitting conclusion. On this self-produced CD, Johnsmith surrounds his appealing voice with some excellent accompanists, including Darrell Scott, Byron House, Tim O'Brien and Andrea Zonn. The production never eclipses Johnsmith's voice or the spirit of the song. Break Me Open is a CD I could and would recommend to anyone without fear of a negative response..

. open-hearted, unpretenious, grounded in the personal, yet always accessible and universal. Nice Stuff!

Folkwax 5/10/06

Potholes, Pinatas, Backroads, Medicine Men, and Hope.
His name is John Smith (johnsmith), that everyman common name shared by thousands. One wonders if they share his vision, though, or his ability to articulate it. "Like the medicine man and the Eskimo, my ear is to the wind/Silently reminding me of the mystery within," this Johnsmith sings in the opening track of his latest recording.
From the first verse's image of the man dancing around the sparks of a fire to that listener of the wind's voice, to the man who has to sing, it's a spare and eloquent appreciation of what's past and what's to come from an artist who's lived long enough to know there's value and lessons yet to be learned from both. He follows that idea through a metaphor that'll produce both a chuckle and understanding from anyone who has driven rural back roads during spring thaw, although Johnsmith's "Pothole Season" is as much emotional as it is physical. Quietly over the years, Johnsmith has taken images of his Wisconsin background, his spiritual journey, and of his recent visits to Ireland into songs that speak through the day-to-day to reach greater truths.

That's the substance of this collection, a man looking backward and forward at his life, sharing a bit of what he has learned from the joys and sorrow, and coming down on the side of hope and renewal and the power of love in the face of both the wonder and the sorrow that life contains. Lately, Johnsmith has spent some time in Nashville, as well as in Ireland, and, along with his native Wisconsin, these also turn up on the record. Nashville-based musicians Darrell Scott, Tim O'Brien, Byron House, and Andrea Zonn are among the guests contributing here. Johnsmith also covers Alan Bell's "So Here's to You," a song that has been enormously popular in Ireland of late and has been recorded by a number of artists; Smith gives it a bit of a different tempo. He also covers Scott's "Love's Not Through With Me," a tune that has also been covered by others, but fits well into this collection.

But it's the original songs that are the strength and the balance of this set, though, with some being heavier, some lighter, some direct, some less so. It's worth listening to the whole album several times to get all that's there; this is really one of those albums where the songs interact with each other, and there are a few surprises along the way. Check for Bill Miller's part on that opening cut, "Back to The Mystery," for one, and really listen to those lyrics about the potholed road. There's much to be taken in here, both musically and lyrically.

Kerry Dexter is a senior contributing editor at FolkWax

September 2006 Vintage Guitar Magazine

That's Johnsmith. One word. Just as his name is slightly out of the ordinary, so his music combines traditional forms with enough new twists on the singer-songwriter formula to keep it interesting. His classic folky tenor wraps around scrumptious melodies to form near-perfect folk confections. But Johnsmith couples his sweet musical lyricism with arrestingly complicated interior dialogs. Sidemen such as fiddle Stuart Duncan, mandolinist Tim O'Brien, and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott frame Johnsmith's vocals with organic acoustic textures. Even though this is Johnsmith's fifth CD, his music is as fresh as any youngster's first artistic foray.

Here's what the critics have said about the Johnsmith 'Kickin This Stone' CD!!....

Dirty Linen Oct/Nov 2004

Johnsmith is a fine acoustic guitar picker and singer from Wisconsin known for his endearing songs and ballads. His fiery licks and finely crafted melodies delight audiences during solo shows. This CD, his sixth, is a 12 song, countrified folk endeavor, and a full radio sound with a half-dozen musicians that differs somewhat from earlier efforts.
One thing that hasn't changed is that Johnsmith is a wordsmith. He's an astute observer. Nowhere is that truer than in "Friend of the Coyote," his half-spoken tribute to the late Dave Carter. "His songs were like a mouthful of blackberries, oozin' down your chin, full and ripe and sweet as August sin." Johnsmith gives us a nod to his Irish roots, blending an Irish reel along with whistles, bodhran, concertina, and violin, in "Thomas Francis," the story of an immigrant who began his life anew after coming to America. His title track uses the image of kicking a stone as a metaphor for life. Other songs, like the pulsating "Drive" and the passionate and tender "Iris Blue," deal with issues of the heart, the pain of love, and the need for conflict resolution. He sings of the majesty and intertwining of judging people in "Don't Put Me in a Box," and his randy Darwinistic needs in "Monkey in Me."
While I craved a bit more of Johnsmith's solo guitar work on this CD, I was not disappointed by the production. Co-produced by Lloyd Maines, the CD is punctuated by Maines' dobro and pedal steel, Darrell Scott on bouzouki and baritone guitar, and Johnsmith's daughter Elisi on harmony vocals. The CD delivers mostly original songs
(he adds a warm rendition of Greg Brown's "Early") that are rich and memorable.
Review by Stephen Ide (Norton MA)

"Sing Out Magazine summer 2004 issue.

Johnsmith extends his growing, glowing reputation with his fourth independent release - a rousing, captivating album, featuring his beautiful, high tenor voice, excellent guitar playing, and spirited, uplifting songs. His music is a contemporary embodiment of the folk tradition ... open-hearted, unpretenious, grounded in the personal, yet always accessible and universal. Nice Stuff!

RootsTown Music FREE-ZINE # 125

I reckon this name doesn't ring a lot of bells right now, but I sincerely do hope that will change within days or weeks. Why that is ? Just because John Smith, who lives in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, sent us his fourth disc and he proves he's a master in the noble art of songwriting. He wrote all the songs himself (except for Greg Brown's "Early"), he does sing all the leadvocals, plays guitar and he has the gift of asking good people to accompany him. Lloyd Maines was sitting is the producer's chair, and when you read that, you already know that Man brought along some of his finest Texan friends: Marvin Dykhuis was there, as were Paul Pearcy , Glenn Fukunaga, Darrell Scott and Tom Kimmel. With a gang of this size, things can hardly go wrong, at least when you give them some material worth playing. That's no problem at all on this disc: all of the 13 songs are good enough to be heard. John's voice is a pleasure to hear and the record's sound tends towards the stuff Luka Bloom usually does. There's a very Irish feeling around this disc, one that reminds me of Paul Brady and in my scale of appreciation that means: not-too-obvious melodies, lyrics that really tell stories, slightly jazzy arrangements and above all, songs you love to hear. Just listen once to the titletrack and you'll know enough. Or listen to "Work in Progress", with it's Jackson Bronwe-feel or "Friend of the Coyote", a tribute to Dave Carter and you'll realise this is a very, very beautiful disc, made by a man who will shortly receive a mail from us: we also want his other CD's and we don't know exactly how to get them.

Here's what the critics have said about the Johnsmith 'Traveler' CD!!....

Dirty Linen aug/sept 2002

Johnsmith "Traveler"
Johnsmith's travels on this Cd deal with journeys the heart makes. Some are remembrances of happy times, as when he evokes a childhood home in "All is Well." A visit to castle ruins in Ireland frames a reflection on the impermanence of life and the constancy of change in "Rooks in the Castle." God's cosmic humor comes into play in "Salt in the Sugar," while in a particularly subtle and thoughtful treatment of the pain and hope inherent in a deep relationship, a lover frames his thoughts of loss and hope for reconciliation in a walk along the Appalachian Trail in "Appalachian Rain." And the ultimate lesson learned, Johnsmith suggests, is to live as the title of his closing track, with "Heart Wide Open." In the hands of a less-gifted songwriter, these themes could easily be cloying or superficial, but Johnsmith's clear visions and straightforward singing style allow the integrity of his words and ideas to shine forth. A recent visit to Ireland influences the stories of several songs and the instrumentation of several others, with pennywhistle and cittern adding colors to several tracks. Sally Barris, Pierce Pettis, Tom Prasada-Rao, and Tom Kimmel sit in on harmonies. (KD)

Sing Out Magazine summer 2002 issue.

"Traveler" JOHNSMITH

How can an artist follow two solo CD's of exceptionally written songs, passionate vocals and intelligent lyrics? By doing it all again. A resident of Wisconsin, via Colorado, California, and Iowa, Johnsmith travels around your heart with optimism, always seeing the cup half full. Make those cups pints these days, as photos of his recent Irish trip and the occasional tin whistle flavor the release. He captures life's travels in general, making the best of it all. Recorded in Asheville NC and co-produced with Chris Rosser, "Traveler" includes five all originals and 6 co-writes with impressive partners.
"Appalachian Rain" is a co-write with Buddy Mondlock. You forget that the song begins with rejection as they manage to launch positive vibes in what others may have turned into a hard-driving "done me wrong" song. The pair' protagonist absorbs the rejection by hiking.
Another highlight written with Pierce Pettis, "Love's Worth Fighting For" has a sticking melody and drum pattern suggesting the ongoing battle that worthwhile love can demand. Finding either pleasure or learning from every step, the rewards are so great.
Driving many songwriters is ongoing angst and non-satisfaction. Not so for Johnsmith whose warm lyrics and smooth vocals always end in peace. His "I Will Fly" is suitable for a cameo on John Edward's 'Crossing Over".
If he were not a songwriter he'd be an outward bound instructor; still using geographic traveling to accomplish inner journeys. His previous CD, "To The Four Directions", with American Indian influences, remains one of my favorites. Check 'em both out. AP (Angela Page)

Johnsmith
Traveler
Produced by Chris Rosser and Johnsmith

With a conversational tone and intimate, detailed lyrics, Johnsmith plays moving folk with the honest simplicity of John Prine or Lyle Lovett. On his latest release Traveler, Smith adds a hint of Irish folk with penny whistles, cittern and lyrics that center on experiences from his trip to the Emerald Isle.

Having won songwriting awards everywhere from Kerrville to Telluride, Smith has established himself as a presence on the folk circuit, and this new record should impress fans and newcomers alike. Whether he’s touching on California country a la early Eagles on “We Got It Right,” melding boozy Pogues swagger with Townes Van Zandt’s intimacy on “Up in County Down” or evoking Van Morrison on “Salt in the Sugar,” Johnsmith’s songs are honest and thoroughly enjoyable.

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