Some years ago I made the mistake of asking Robb Johnson how many songs he’d written. There is no doubt that Robb is a prolific writer and the last few years have been a real purple patch for him. But it isn’t about quantity and every time I get a new Robb Johnson album I am amazed at the breadth of ideas and his skill in communicating those ideas. The Optimist Hotel is no exception. Robb says that the album is about hopefulness, and the title track, which opens the set, is a deceptively unassuming starting point but as you listen further, a line from the song keeps coming back to haunt you. “Stories no-one tells from the Optimist Hotel” betrays the fly in the ointment; such is Robb Johnson’s way.
Many songs include lines that place them in the present day but ‘Wide-Eyed’ initially reflects on his youth – “the revolution bypassed Hounslow” – and ‘Wizz Jones Plays Guitar’ has a nostalgic vibe with references to the old songs. I do like the idea of Death being unable to find a parking space, though. ‘The Battle Of Bamber Bridge’ is set in 1943 and tells of an outbreak of racial violence – white military police against black GIs. Which side do you think the locals are on? And how much has actually changed?
Musically, the album is dominated by Robb’s acoustic guitar and don’t forget that he’s a fine guitarist on top of everything else. There are piano and viola – Yves Meerschaut (or possibly Meersscheart) and Saskia Tompkins respectively with vocals by Vera Coomans – but the guests are used sparingly leaving Robb front and centre.
‘Jana Is 16’ brings us back to the present but not in a happy way. Jana is Palestinian and doesn’t live to be 17. ‘In Favour Of Wild Things’ first appeared in one of Robb’s online pandemic gigs. It’s a complex song covering a number of issues and I’m not quite with it yet. ‘No Place Like Home’ tackles the refugee issue from the point of view of a single mother selling The Big Issue anywhere she can.
Those less well read than Robb (and I count myself among that number) will probably have to look up Eileen O’Shaughnessy. Eileen was the wife and editor of George Orwell and the song details their time during the Spanish Civil War – hard and uncompromising with the piano dominating the arrangement. ‘Mutualade’ is a more whimsical song and contains the album’s second reference to Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin, the Russian anarchist.
Finally, ‘Tout Va Bien’ brings us back to the Optimism Hotel…except that it’s also the title of a Jean-Luc Godard film about a strike in a sausage factory. That feels like a deliberate hidden meaning to me and, if I’m right, that’s Robb Johnson for you. The album is everything I’ve come to expect from Robb, deceptively gentle but dealing with serious subjects – a musical iron fist in a velvet glove.
Dai Jeffries
Artist’s website: https://www.robbjohnson.co.uk/
Trailer video:
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