Album Review: Johnnyswim, Georgica Pond

Indie-folk couple Johnnyswim have released their first new album since 2014’s Diamonds, their studio premiere. The pair have made their name among many new singer-songwriter duos in the vein of Shovels and Rope and, of course, the dearly departed Civil Wars. But, where the Civil Wars were famous for their drama and discord, Johnnyswim have established themselves as a rock-solid couple in both their personal and professional lives. Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez have been together as a band since 2005, and married since 2009. The romantic energy of their relationship is at the heart of Georgica Pond, with many tracks about the comfort of building a home with each other on the road. Though the romanticism of these songs borders on cheesy at times, no one does love songs like Johnnyswim, with lyrics that are both heartfelt and original. “Summertime Romance,” is one that you can almost already hear on a wedding dance floor, with lyrics like “And I’ve never been more at home/In a house or a hotel/I made my promise known/Before the very first church bell/So let’s take our time on this road.”
The album continues the theme of love, home, and family, with tracks such as “Touching Heaven,” which feature both the strong voices of a choir, as well as the couple’s toddler son babbling adorably in the background. The title track, “Georgica Pond,” is a heartfelt, melancholy, yet hopeful dedication to the love of family after death: “One day when I’m gone/scatter my ashes on Georgica Pond…daydreaming of how different this life could be/ if the ones you love most hadn’t taken their leave/And wishing your babies could know your daddy and me/know that I’m still your lighthouse…you’ll be one for me.”
There are also the heartbreak songs like “Let it Matter,” which will be a good survival anthem for the lovelorn, as well a cameo from Vince Gill for country fans, on the track “Lonely Night In Georgia.” But still, with other songs like “In My Arms,” which paints a picture of a romantic moonlight dance, Georgica Pond is undeniably an album for lovers. It’s what makes the final track, a cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” seem a bit out of place, as the album turns from marital bliss to a darker, doomed love with the classic “I don’t wanna fall in love/This girl is only gonna break your heart.” It’s a solid cover, and the couple brings their signature chemistry to it as a duet, but it doesn’t bring much of a new perspective to the classic track.
The full album will be released tomorrow, October 14. You can hear "Summertime Romance" below.