Archive Review: Rich Robinson's Paper (2004)

After the Black Crowes went on hiatus back in 2002, guitarist Rich Robinson found himself without a band (and apart from his brother, Crowes’ vocalist Chris) for the first time in 18 years. His first inclination was to put together another band, and Robinson subsequently pieced together the pseudo-jam outfit Hookah Brown and toured the summer “shed” circuit. The same political BS and interpersonal dynamics that pulled the Crowes apart soon infected his new band and Robinson returned home to paint and write songs.

Because he was always overshadowed by his more flamboyant brother, the thought of a Rich Robinson solo album didn’t especially excite anybody but the most hardcore fans. ‘Tis a shame, because Paper – Robinson’s solo bow – is a damn good record. Not earth shaking, not the second coming, but a solid rock ‘n’ roll effort from a typically overlooked guitarist. Robinson wrote all the material here, plays most of the instruments and even took singing lessons to prepare for the recording.

To his credit, Robinson didn’t attempt to replicate the Stonesish swagger of the Crowes’ early recordings on Paper; neither did he try to mimic his brother’s Rod Stewart/Steve Marriott sandpaper vocals. Mostly, Robinson lets his guitar do the speaking, his wan vocals often lost in the mix beneath a swirl of instrumentation. The songs on Paper are a mix of jangling guitar pop and ‘70s-styled rock improvisation with a goodly portion of psychedelic flourishes and a hint of British folk-rock. Think Incredible String Band mixed with the Beatles, throw in some Dream Syndicate and you’ll be in the right ballpark.

Robinson’s songwriting is solid if unspectacular, his lyrics expressive and understated. The music on Paper is appropriately muddy and quite soulful, showcasing Robinson’s instrumental prowess and compositional skills. Paper is a lot better solo debut than anybody might have expected, Robinson clearly surpassing his brother’s recent musical endeavors and finally moving out of the shadow (and commercial expectations) of the Black Crowes to create music on his own terms. (Keyhole Records, released 2004)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™ zine