Hertfordshire musician and film-maker Rob has come up with a first album which is a collection of powerful and catchy – almost anthemic – songs. Rob’s credits include nominations for Best Live Act and Best Folk Act at this year’s Exposure Music Awards, and as headliner on the ‘Folkstock Presents’ stage at the inaugural Folkstock Acoustic Festival. Throughout the album, his accomplished backing musicians complement the tunes neatly. Each track building up in layers, often starting with a basic unfussy acoustic guitar backing, the accompaniment is always sympathetic to Rob’s effective vocal delivery. Mike Wesson’s keys are a present but not dominating backing and the electric guitar of Patrick Murdoch blends in nicely.
‘Your Last Line’ has a dreamy, ethereal feel while ‘These Words Aren’t Meant For Me’ is a rocky number that bounces along cheerfully. Rob’s film-making credentials are evident in what is for me the standout track of the record, ‘Collections’ , which features a striking opening and some interesting and unusual chord changes, and a bright orchestral arrangement. Peppered throughout the album, there are traces of 70s guitar bands, 80s synth pop and contemporary AOR. In particular, the gentle openings developing into something heavier put me in mind of the folk and symphonic influences in the progressive rock of Wishbone Ash. Although there were for me a few cases of some lines being repeated within songs a little too often, the singer-songwriter consciousness in the writing is not “indulgent” and the melodies are strong and memorable.
Rob is at the time of writing auditioning for a backing group, and on the strength of this debut there should be good competition for places!
Colin Bailey
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