Tension, it has been said, is the life of any organization. Applied to an album, that life is nearly tangible, and Nathan Johnson manages to capture the quivering uncertainties of self in his first solo record. Inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith and Radiohead, In Search of the Flip nimbly leads these sensibilities down a forest trail yet to be traveled. Nearly all of Johnson's songs are mined from deep places and at times they seem geared more toward a detective than an average music listener - someone with time to invest and a mystery to discover. Recently Nathan has been giving his efforts to the eclectic artistic team known as The Cinematic Underground. Based in New York and England, they have just released an album unlike any other called Annasthesia (note: also available through CD BABY: www.cdbaby.com/nathanj2). It is a story with main characters told over the length of one album - almost like a film trapped in a CD - complete with 24 page graphic novella and full band songs to make your heart melt. But here lies Johnson at his most stripped down as most of the songs are complete with voice and acoustic guitar. A few of the players from the Cinematic Underground make guest appearances with drummer Zachary adding percussion and Bethany's voice fleshing out nearly half of the tracks. Produced by Aaron Johnson (3rd Degree, Annasthesia) in a basement in late 1999, In Search of the Flip captures the brash innovation of an unschooled artist successfully breaking all the rules. Dollface floats with quirky violin licks and velour beats as Choose Hope travels from Nathan's intricate picking patterns to a lush grand finale. A master of quirky innovation, Johnson shines on Hey Thom which succeeds in playing hide-and-seek with several keys while still being one of the catchiest tracks on the record. This album is one to soak in, letting the sometimes foreign chord progressions seep into your pores while the masterful lyrics rattle away at your psyche.