Peggy Lee meets PJ Harvey, flamenco style. Precise, fiery vocals glide over sophisticated guitar work, informed by Johnson’s studies in Spain as well as her American folk roots. Sparse yet luscious, her literate songs routinely inspire silence in otherwise rowdy barrooms.

From white-collar mediocrity and its transcendence to canine aesthetics, the topics Johnson tackles sometimes surprise. More surprising, perhaps, is the ease with which the playful and the somber sit side by side. Her dark, sultry voice, accompanied by sweet filigrees of precise and subtle finger work, has captivated audiences in Europe, Asia, and North America.