“Crystalline” is a world folk album from talented singer/songwriter Stephen Johnson. Johnson draws from a number of world genres with this album, including Irish and Brazilian music. His sound is unique and he incorporates several rare traditional instruments such as the balalaika, an acoustic instrument of Russian origin, throughout the album. Johnson’s vocal performance is comparable to Peter Gabriel, Seal. and Sting. Although, the words he vocalizes is what makes him stand out. “Crystalline” is full of strong lyrics and Johnson delivers them in true storytelling fashion, in a musical narrative, about the issues and aspects of the world he finds most important. The arrangements are all solid as well and show Johnson’s talent as a musician. The production quality is also very good, clean and professional sounding. “I Call You” has a nice vocal opening, a good simple arrangement, and captivating lyrics. “Essence of Nardo” closes the album out with a soulful number with a Latin flair, incorporation of the balalaika, and a spoken word vocal. With “Crytalline,” Stephen Johnson delivers eight solid tracks with great world-inspired arrangements and a strong narrative lyrical style. Fans of world folk and strong singer/songwriters, give Stephen Johnson a listen.