Nathan Johnston & The Angels Of Libra, Angel of Libra Review

Angels Of Libra have teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter Nathan Johnston to create a powerful retro-soul recording, the first of which is the moody and atmospheric single “Angel Of Libra,” out on Waterfall Records. “Angel Of Libra” is about a relationship on its last legs, when both parties know that it has come to a natural end, but one person isn’t ready to let it go. The song is born from the idea that we are often too scared about the future and do not know what comes next after we have spent some time being too comfortable with a situation. Nobody truly likes to change, and we often scream out when we know things are not going how we thought they would.

“Angel Of Libra” has a vibe reminiscent of the 1960s soul bands that could be found on Daptone records and the like. The relaxed soul sounds of the band pairs perfectly with Johnston’s timbre and classy delivery. Nathan Johnston and Dennis Rux (producer of the project and at Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Studios) met in Hamburg while working on separate projects at Clouds Hill studios. Rux asked Johnston if he would like to feature as a vocalist on one of the songs from the Denmark recordings. As a challenge to his own songwriting (with no instruction on the lyrical content/vocal melodies), Johnston accepted the offer and a few months later sent a demo to Rux of the newly titled track – “Angel Of Libra.” After hearing the track, the band decided to name themselves after the song. The band enlisted Johnston to come to Rux’s ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah!’ studios in Hamburg to write and record a full-length album, which will feature 10 tracks. Framing the single, “Angel Of Libra,” is the band’s soulful playing that hums with vintage warmth but with modern clarity. The fragile, haunting, gentle melody is tastefully ornamented by Johnston, and the song’s form is developed with new sounds that create a very satisfying culmination. Overall, “Angel Of Libra” is formidably articulated with a gutsy performance by the band and vocalist to produce a pointed and ravishingly hip song for our enjoyment. That is the short of it!