Album Details

• Artist: Robinson Treacher
• Album: Porches
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlita on 2012-06-10

Getting an advance listen of Robinson Treacher's new album, Porches, which includes "Good Mind to Keep You" that you all helped win our Unsigned and Wound Up 7 podcast competition recently, several images come to mind. Home. Fireflies.  Willow Trees. Lemonade. Summer. Backroads. Whiskey. Also perhaps a heartbroken traveling man whose "Layla", might be "one more soul he'll never find". Changing tempos on songs between toe-tapping, knee-slapping melodies and soft country lullabies, his voice is reminiscent of 60's Joe Cocker "With A Little Help from my Friends" and 90's "Next To Be With You" Mr. Big in that rare intersection of soul/country, which hasn't a worthy player in that subgenre  for a while.

Recently nominated for a CMT People's Choice Award, listening to Porches, his sophomore effort, you get the feeling Robinson, a NY native, could be destined for great things. Beginning with a foot stomping, hand-clapping African-American spiritual cover," Hopali", the chitlin and cornbread Southern scene is set, moving next  to "Good Mind To Keep You" that has lyrics like " ain't got much rhythm but I sure do got them blues". Lady lows may have gone on to inspire slower, whispering tracks like "Can't Call You Again" which reminded me of Eric Clapton's " Tears in Heaven", " One More Soul" and Carly Simon to his James Taylor, Anna Perkins on "Gone Baby Gone". Identifying with the central themes of triumphs and defeats along love's dusty road , Porches drives home it truly is "all about the journey".

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