Steve Robinson has again recorded one of the most melodic albums of the year. Whereas 'Away For The Day' was mostly one man and his Korg recorder, on 'Undercurrent' he has collaborated with other musicians to create a album of pristinely crafted songs. There is more of a Celtic tinge to the production, but the melodies, lyrics, and performance are as top class as you would expect. Personal favourites include poptastic 'Wooden Hill', the beautiful 'Love Is Real' and brooding 'Road To Ruin'. Excellent!
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For anyone who enjoys the solo work of George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney or enjoys that little band they were in, you should particularly appreciate this cd. Robinson was born and raised in England and sings with a delightful British accent that is slightly reminiscent of at least one or more of the Fab Four. His songs incorporate influences from at least three of them (sorry Ringo). I also hear a bit of Al Stewart, Michael Penn, mid period Bee Gees and ELO in his melodic and lyrical sensibilities. Still all his songs are completely fresh and original....(go to cdreviewsonline.com for more)
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Well,first impressions count for a lot. I first played the cd in my car on a long drive. Later that day I found myself humming various tunes which I could not identify at first - it was only later I realised that the tunes I found so familiar were Steves quirky homegrown tunes.Celtic touches mixed with Beatles/folk influences sound great. Says something if music makes such an instant impression after one play. Now the album is on the ubiquitous iPod - in my favourites playlist. Good work Steve Robinson - he's wasted, in more ways than one. Keep up the good work! (PS: who is the good looking kid with the life saver ring?)
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I had the luck to have Richard Thompson’s latest CD and Steve Robinson’s latest CD arrive the same day. Now, I think competition has no place in art, so I won’t tell you whose CD I played first; but it says a lot about Steve Robinson that I wasn’t happy to have to make that choice.


Breathe relief, Robinson fans: "Undercurrent" dodges the sophomore jinx. It arguably is no sophomore effort anyway, although it’s the second CD under Robinson’s moniker, since he was writing and recording killer pop songs as a Headlights member ages ago. No, there was no shortage of songs as good or better than the ones on the magnificent "Away for the Day", his first solo album. In fact, I had the joy of witnessing him play about 20 candidates for the new CD in various stages of completion. Robinson’s problem was finding the time to polish an album’s worth of songs to the shimmering sheen we expect from a singer/songwriter of his rank.

 
So what do we get? Good clean fun; wistful celebrations of a past more interesting than ours; Corrs-like interludes; guitar work that should be taught in schools; pop with a folk sensibility that never lets us forget he has a foot in that scepter’d isle; rock and roll; more melody than you’ll find in a whole day’s listening to my wife’s favorite station; a bracing dose of what Richard Thompson winkingly calls Celtschmerz; and skyscraping harmonic structures that would evoke tears of joy in Paul McCartney. In other words, pretty much your usual Steve Robinson record.


And, okay, I admit it. I played the Richard Thompson CD second.
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