Listen To This

How sweet it is. Johnnie Frierson was the brother of the great Wendy Rene and a fellow member of The Drapels, a group unearthed as part of Light In The Attic Records’ 2012 Wendy Rene singles and rarities compilation. The label now gifts us with the holy word of Frierson – via their reissue of his lo-fi, late 60s homegrown record, Have You Been Good To Yourself. Equal parts spoken word, soul, and gospel, a unique and organic spirit flows throughout the collection. Accompanied by nothing more than gritty guitar and an occasional drumbeat, Frierson’s raw vocals deliver mantras of faith and positivity through a singular brew of plainspoken eccentricity and country church earthiness. Whether preaching self-care and universal love in the booming, fiery title track, graciously swooning a soulful falsetto and fervent thanks in the faith ballad “Heavenly Father, You’ve Been Good,” or beautifully twisting the album’s closer “Trust in the Lord” into a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” Frierson delivers with passionate and