Rich Robinson’s second solo album, Through a Crooked Sun, “is all about
getting through things, starting on a new path, looking forward,” the
co-founder of the Black Crows told Spork
in a recent interview. The release comes on the heels of a rocky stretch in the
artist’s life that included a divorce and a pair of hiatuses for his band, and
its lyrics and music convey the wisdom, maturity and confidence of a man who’s
better for having gone through them. It’s the kind of record that would feel
good to play over and over during hard times.
In the album’s opening track, “Gone
Away”, Robinson takes the bad medicine straight, singing an unambiguous call
and response with himself: “I fell the distance of the deepest canyon drop/
That’s how you bleed, sir/It took me years to climb back to the top/ That’s
what you need, sir.” From there, the lyrics take turns through self-reflection,
philosophy and spirituality, never shying away from the negatives of life but
never giving in to them fully either. “Bye Bye Baby” is full of metaphors of
loss – curtains falling, birds dropping from the sky – and is punctuated with
the question, “Is this world done with me?” But the query isn’t sung in the
sorrowful tone of a person who is about to throw in the towel. It’s a
rhetorical question; the answer is clearly “no.” In “It’s Not Easy,” “Hey Fear”
and “Follow You Forever,” he stands tall with insights about materialism,
emotional vulnerability and family.
The album’s positive vibe is
affirmed by the mood of the music. The twelve songs on this album feel much
more fully developed than those of his first solo album, Paper. They’re unrelentingly beautiful and at times magnificent,
each with a foundation laid sturdily with acoustic guitar and honest vocals and
adorned with layers of electric guitar, pedal steel and organ that build to
peaks of emotion. They were recorded in Woodstock in January and February of
this year at a studio on a 12-acre farm with llamas and horses all around, and
the record reflects the laid-back beauty of the surroundings. “All Along the
Way” is particularly gorgeous, with veils of pedal steel drifting throughout
and a rapturous solo by Robinson on a B-Bender to close it out. Same with “Hey
Fear,” except here the core melody and rhythm are more emphatic, and the build-up
is to a tapestry of electric guitar solos. Joe Magistro plays drums throughout,
and there are also appearances by Larry Campbell, who played for many years
with Bob Dylan, John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Warren Haynes of
Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers and the Dead. “This is the third album I’ve
recorded in Woodstock,” Robinson says. “It’s beautiful up there. Very pleasant.
Very creative vibe. Recording this album was a great experience.”
Robinson was a lot more relaxed
while working on this album, he says - more sure of himself and where he wanted
to take the music. “I felt much more at ease making this record,” he explains.
“It flowed much more than Paper.” And
while the there are no immediate plans for the Black Crowes to record again and
tour, Robinson seems to feel quite good about being his own man. “It’s my vision,” he says. “It’s what I want
to see and hear. It’s a chance to play with other people. It’s cool to get out
and work in a different way.”
Rich Robinson will perform live at Twist and Shout Friday, November 4, at 6 pm.
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