Johnny Delaware “Para Llevar”

Johnny Delaware comes of age with this well-crafted, introspective third solo album, which has a definite Laurel Canyon vibe.

John Kuiper, born and raised in South Dakota, goes by the professional name of Johnny Delaware; he has travelled extensively since dropping out of college, spending his 20s drifting between such places as Nashville, Albuquerque, and Austin, before settling in Charleston, South Carolina. Struggling to get the money together to make a record, Delaware experienced a stroke of good fortune when a tree fell onto his old Toyota RAV4, which he reckoned was worth around $2,500, and he hit the jackpot as his insurance company paid him $10,000. Delaware used this money to complete his debut album, 2013’s “Secret Wave“, which resulted in the Charleston City Paper making him their Songwriter of the Year. At this point, he co-founded an indie rock band, SUSTO, and further co-founded another rock band, The Artisanals, which he fronted. All this band activity kept him busy and his sophomore solo release followed some nine years later, entitled “Energy of Light“, which Delaware made after relocating to Mexico City, having falling in love with its people, its art and its culture. Since then, he’s continued flitting between Mexico and Charleston.

Delaware’s latest release, “Para Llevar” (which translates roughly as “to go” or “to take”) is very much a Delaware solo record, with the artist writing all the songs, producing the album and, with a small number of exceptions, playing all of the instruments. Recording took place in a variety of US and Mexican locations and Delaware describes it as “Nomadic”. It’s an introspective record, with Delaware reflecting that “At the end of the day, you can’t escape yourself, no matter how far you go.”

First up is ‘Jungle Full of Ghosts‘, a song with its roots up in the mountains of Mexico. Acoustic guitar leads into the vocals and it shifts up a gear after about 90 seconds; it features a brief, atmospheric guitar solo. Second cut ‘Running‘ is about running away from our true selves, trying to escape our past, something that Delaware says we all do; it has a strong melody.

‘Sad Song‘ is just that; Delaware in deep thought telling us about his songwriting process, how there was never a need to try and write a sad song; “Been hanging out alone in the back room, An acoustic guitar and a notepad, Never had to write a sad song, Somehow they always came out like I had one“. While ‘Stubborn Faith‘, one of the singles from the album and quite possibly the best song on here. The singer describes the song as coming to him in a dream; when he woke up he hummed the bassline and the melody into his ‘phone. It features a nifty, incessant guitar line and Clay White plays a neat trumpet solo. ‘Caution Darlin’’ sounds like it could have been recorded by Jackson Browne.

The third single, ‘Incógnita‘, is next. A complete change in style, this is a Spanish guitar-based instrumental track. Then we have ‘You Alone ( are the revolution)‘ on which Delaware claims he was aiming for “a Dwight Yoakam kinda vibe“. Lyrically it represents Delaware’s views on society, how we need to take care of our families and communities. ‘Never Let Go‘ is another highlight, an ode to long distance love, it’s an upbeat, positive song, Delaware was inspired to write this following a trip to Arches National Park in Utah.

It’s easy to see the development of Delaware as an artist and songwriter across his solo works; “Para Llevar” comes across as noticeably more confident than his previous offerings. The vibe is Laurel Canyon between the mid-60s and the mid-70s and it’s certainly no worse for that. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable record, well worthy of your attention.