Having been luckily enough to see Robb Johnson perform live at the Stripes Bar at Brentford FC (now sadly defunct) I was looking forward to hearing his new album. He is ably backed by his Irregulars who provide accordion, violin, bass, percussion and backing vocals. Robb Johnson is what you would call a classic singer/songwriter as opposed to a record company’s version of a singer/songwriter like that twat James Blunt. He carries on the fine folk tradition of weaving current events into timeless themes such as love, relationships and urban life.

I urge you all to listen to ‘Moron Land’ which has very funny lyrics but sadly they are so true in that we are a nation of mindless zombies watching ‘Big Brother’, drinking and loving the celebrity. ‘No-One Wants To Look Like You’ takes a shot at people who want us all to look the same and conform. As you may gather he doesn’t hide his political and personal views but then the best folk songs have always been ones like this. There are some very accessible almost pop moments like ‘Pink Shoes’, which could easily make its way onto radio 2 play lists, as could ‘Sunny Afternoon In Limenau’.

Strong and thought provoking lyrics with very catchy melodies thrown in makes for a wonderful album. Robb Johnson is one of the better singer/songwriters out there – up there with Richard Thompson in my book.

****½

Review by Jason Ritchie

Interview