Josh Blackburn

Josh Blackburn isn’t from Colorado, but ask any of his fans at his local performances and they will be the first to say he is a local musician. As such, this one-man band unleashed his brand of rock on the world with his self-release Purple Elephant.

With an earmark of rock, stemmed from a plethora of genre variations, Blackburn begins with “At The Station.” The old-western sounding acoustic guitar, with his reverberating deep voice, creates an aura of echoic rock that fills headphones with lyrics about isolation, war, and the depth of space.

Blackburn then moves on to the jazz/Latin fusion song “Victor The Cat Killer.” The title sums up the content. The intense buildup in the end creates an arena rock wall that propels it as one of the most exciting songs on Purple Elephant.

Slower tracks include “Please” and the piano ballad “Release,” both of which express a deep passion rooted into every lyric sung with Blackburn’s thrilling voice.

“Spacious Android Elements” and “Jenna’s Title” are instrumental tracks that clusterfuck Blackburn’s blues-rock demeanor and bizarre fascination with spacey pad dimensions in his work with intense sound layers, leave listeners processing what just occurred.

Blackburn’s musical genre evolves into “Washed Up Washed Down,” a dark drum and bass track that blends well with his style. He finishes strong with “New Light” as the powerful conclusion to his beautiful Purple Elephant.

Blackburn’s deep voice—which at times certainly makes one draw Johnny Cash comparisons—separates him from other one-man band individuals, and his excellent lyrics and eldritch sound selection could please the pickiest of listeners.