Vinyl

John Andrews has spent the past few years tucked away in Red Hook, Brooklyn—a neighborhood that sits just beyond the natural drift of the city. Once shaped by maritime industry and later a haven for artists in search of vast warehouse space, its history and isolation give it a quiet magnetism. Streetsweeper, the fifth album by John Andrews & The Yawns, reflects that vantage point—tranquil, self-contained, and curious about the movements most people overlook. 

Just a few cobblestone blocks from the freight-ship-lined harbor, Andrews wrote dozens of new songs at his electric piano. Nine of them found their way to Los Angeles to be recorded with Luke Temple, who played guitar and some bass. Drummer Noah Bond and bassist Keven Louis Lareau, both longtime members of The Yawns and Cut Worms, form the rhythm section. Will Henriksen of Florry played fiddle on “Something To Be Said,” while Emily Moales of Star Moles sang harmonies recorded remotely by Kevin Basko at Historic New Jersey.

Andrews finished his overdubs back home, letting the record settle again into the landscape that first inspired it. Around that same time, he took a seasonal job in his neighborhood with the NYC Parks, maintaining the soccer fields beside the hulking, abandoned grain terminal at the river’s edge. He’d ride his bike home at lunch to record vocals, weaving the workday into the songs themselves. No matter the task, he brings a steady devotion.

The whole album was tracked using the personal guitar pick of late troubadour songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker; a gift to Keven Louis Lareau by a family friend. On Streetsweeper, Andrews leans into guitar like he hasn’t in years, still letting his relaxed, unhurried touch guide the music.  “Goodbye Dirty Snow” is delicate & full of heart, yet comfortably sits next to “Friends In Misery” with its jangly trash guitars and driving rhythm section. On “Through & Through” a Santo & Johnny inspired tune, he sings in an intimate lo-fi voice: “If I were to question your greatest vice, I’d be like Bambi out on the ice.” Each lyrical vignette is filled with Andrews’ gentle empathy—he sings like someone who might’ve seen you playing fetch, kissing on a park bench, or crying on a lunch break. 

Andrews remains active on the DIY circuit he’s traveled for almost 20 years now, taking his solo shows on the road to backyards and unconventional spaces, projecting his signature handmade animations, which dance behind him. He sells his artwork for cheap, guided by the Bread & Puppet Theater manifesto that art should belong to everyone who wants it, and those paintings funded this album. He’s long admired Little Wings, an artist cut from the same well-worn cloth. After flipping through Kyle Field’s work at a Baby’s All Right show, he asked him to paint the cover; two shaky hockey players clad in 1980’s New Jersey Devils red and green watercolor. 

Red Hook may not be the easiest neighborhood to reach with its 25 minute walk to the nearest subway station but that distance gives a reward to patience and a singular glow—one Andrews sneaks into every 33 minutes of Streetsweeper. The Super 8 video for “Something To Be Said,” shot by Hilla Eden, wanders through its streets like a hazy love letter to a town on the cusp of inevitable change. The album offers a similar invitation: step off the main road, linger a little, and appreciate the small, overlooked moments that make a place—and a life—rich. Andrews has swept those margins with care, leaving songs that listen, observe, and stay with you. - Kyle Avallone