Tag: Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson and The Junior League

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Steve Robinson “Window Seat”

If you enjoyed the pastoral prose and delicate compositions of Swallowing The Sun (2021) then Steve Robinson has another album you’ll enjoy. And Steve once again has friend Ed Woltil as co-pilot and special guest Dave Gregory (XTC) on a few songs.

Opening with “Unnecessary War,” its a serious anti-war mid-tempo tune with an excellent guitar break. The song shows you when there is no real introspection, the shouts of war can overwhelm. “Word to the Wise” boasts a pensive guitar rhythm, and similar low-key tone, but a big highlight is the very XTC-ish “King of Scatterbrain,” with its jaunty melody, and Steve sounding great with nice trumpet flourishes.  Another wonderful highlight is “Hesitation Blues,” with its chugging melody and very Beatlesque bassline. The mellow ballads “Room With a View” and “Treasure” are enjoyable too. Highly Recommended.


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The Junior League “Our Broadcast Day”

Joe Adragna (aka The Junior League) and friends, Scott McCaughey (the Minus Five) and Michael Giblin (Split Squad) follows up the excellent EP Nattering Nabobs with a cracking full length follow up. Joe is on a roll here, as he opens with the shimmering guitars of “Two Ways To Go” with its echoing verses, and a catchy “bop, bop, bop” in the chorus. “Let’s Hear it for the Dead” is another catchy mid-tempo tune with a wonderfully layered bass line, over a tambourine beat.

Many of the songs, such as “Everybody Knows” and “The Me and Them,” have a mellow country sound, with a focus on harmonies in the latter. Just about each song has enough variety to prevent predictability, as Joe delivers strong narratives that deserve repeat listens. Another interesting highlight is “1973 Nervous Breakdown,” an epic slow rocker about remembering chaos with a sense of  nostalgia. Highly Recommended.

Kool Kat Musik

Steve Robinson and My Life As A Dog

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Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson “Swallowing The Sun”

Steve Robinson (Headlight, Roger McGuinn) made impressive music with singer-songwriter Ed Woltil on his album Cycle several years ago. Robinson has a smooth approach on this solo LP. Opening with the layered acoustic and jazzy electric guitars of “Sorry Amsterdam,” he looks back at his youth in the 1980s and it feels similar to Aztec Camera. “Wild God” is even better at setting a mood with its caustic lyrics “Eat your words and spew your junk” and its raga-like rhythm. Another gem here is “Quiet One” with its subtle melody and a slide guitar from XTC legend Dave Gregory. It is a fitting tribute to George Harrison, the “quiet” Beatle.

The songs move from Celtic-styled folk-pop (“Milk and a Dash”) to dour acoustic ballads (“Skinful,”) but there are some bright gems here, notably the McCartneyish piano pop of “Mr. Empty Head” and the bouncy love song “Make You Mine.” As he notes in “Dizzy Love Song” it’s “not rocket science… just sing along.” Beautifully produced and cleanly mixed, I’m sure you’ll find enough favorites here to make this album one that deserves a spot in your playlist. Highly Recommended.

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My Life As A Dog

My Life As A Dog “Borders”

My Life As A Dog is the passion project of singer-songwriter Ryan Hanifin. Ryan traces his five-year Odyssey from his home in Texas to Brooklyn, before finally settling down in Charleston, SC. An echoing piano ballad “Dotted Lines” is supported by classic strings that make a clean lead into the melody of the title track “Borders.” As the main melody chugs along Ryan’s vocal style brings to mind crooner Eric Matthews. The theme of the album is travel, and we do time travel with the ’80s-influenced “Science Fiction” and “Concrete Shoes,” its instrumentation recalling Tears For Fears at times. A highlight here is “Jessamine and Lavender” with its dramatic storytelling and jangling guitars. Ryan puts it all out there, and it will speak to many. This is definitely music that deserves to be heard.

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