CD Reviews
Review of Robert Hill's New CD "My Corner" by Fred Gillen Jr.
Monday, September 22, 2008
"Rainbow Come Down On Me; Mix Myself a Perfect Dream."
I'd heard the opening track "My Corner" before I received this beautiful CD to review. I was struck by how the harmonica solo at the end of the song really managed to paint a picture of the narrator. When I heard that solo in my imagination I could see this lost and tired man dancing on a dark street, a bottle in his hand and his eyes turned towards the heavens. Oftentimes when songwriters attempt to tackle the lost characters in society they either over- dramatize or only brush the surface. Robert Hill puts flesh on the bones of society's underdogs in his songs. Whether he's writing about a tragic homeless guy, a simple country woman, or the children of Liberia, Hill shines light on the humanity of the characters in his songs, reminding us that we are all related. Listening to the CD I see the world through the characters' eyes and feel it through their hearts. The music and production never get in the way of the story, and there's an interesting mix of modern and old-timey sounds. Musically the songs incorporate influences from the entire range of this wonderfully colorful music called Americana. Hill's guitar, resonator, and harmonica playing shine without getting in the way of the songs, and the CD even includes two instrumentals "Smokestack," and "Forbidden Fruit," which we'll probably be hearing during the closing credits of a movie by this time next year. All around "My Corner" is an honest, hopeful, reckless adventure in what it is to be human. Stand-out tracks for me are "Blessed Dream," one of my favorite new songs in several years, "Smokestack," and the closing song "Washing Away."
I'd heard the opening track "My Corner" before I received this beautiful CD to review. I was struck by how the harmonica solo at the end of the song really managed to paint a picture of the narrator. When I heard that solo in my imagination I could see this lost and tired man dancing on a dark street, a bottle in his hand and his eyes turned towards the heavens. Oftentimes when songwriters attempt to tackle the lost characters in society they either over- dramatize or only brush the surface. Robert Hill puts flesh on the bones of society's underdogs in his songs. Whether he's writing about a tragic homeless guy, a simple country woman, or the children of Liberia, Hill shines light on the humanity of the characters in his songs, reminding us that we are all related. Listening to the CD I see the world through the characters' eyes and feel it through their hearts. The music and production never get in the way of the story, and there's an interesting mix of modern and old-timey sounds. Musically the songs incorporate influences from the entire range of this wonderfully colorful music called Americana. Hill's guitar, resonator, and harmonica playing shine without getting in the way of the songs, and the CD even includes two instrumentals "Smokestack," and "Forbidden Fruit," which we'll probably be hearing during the closing credits of a movie by this time next year. All around "My Corner" is an honest, hopeful, reckless adventure in what it is to be human. Stand-out tracks for me are "Blessed Dream," one of my favorite new songs in several years, "Smokestack," and the closing song "Washing Away."