Halcyon Bloom by Robert Sunday
Cold Little Roses (the other release mentioned in this review) will be available later this year.
The latest pair of releases from London-based singer-songwriter Robert Sunday were recorded at the same sessions, and form a kind of companion set that continues the pattern of the somewhat elusive, enigmatic writing showcased on his earlier EP Butterfly Hairslide, but with an arguably sharper focus in dealing with the central concepts of memory, love and time.
The PR points at Robert’s music as being good for “fans of Bill Fay, Palace Music and Lee Hazlewood”, but the best of Robert’s songs may well possess a more lasting beguiling quality, as on I Live On A Noble Bunk, Nocturnes In An Empty Park and Hushed Be The Rain – whose titles alone betoken Robert’s innate literacy and slightly off-kilter, if also at times rather misanthropic outlook on life.
Robert’s vocal delivery and stylish drawl draws you in right away and holds you throughout the songs. The breathless lyricism of So I Can Save You is balanced by the more seductive Oyster and the American-gothic vignette The Drugstore Situation. Instrumental accompaniments are intelligently coordinated and fully realised, drawing much from minimal resources (acoustic guitar, piano, atmospheric electric guitar, hammered dulcimer). Both mini-albums weigh in at just over 20 minutes, their relative brevity somewhat belying their thought-provoking imagery.
David Kidman
Folk Radio UK
Robert Sunday is an enigmatic London based singer-songwriter,with an alluring croon and a penchant for atmospheric vignettes that reference such topics as An American Werewolf In London.His arrangements-picked and strummed acoustic guitars,sparse piano,and reverb drenched Telecaster,are at times reminiscent of the Handsome Family,while songs like The Drugstore Situation and Apache will surely appeal to fans of Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan's gothic americana.Six beguilingly melodic and highly literate songs ,best listened to by candlelight.
Steve Hunt
FRoots
Tracklist
| 1. | The Drugstore Situation | 2:57 |
| 2. | Apache | 3:04 |
| 3. | Nocturnes In An Empty Park | 3:17 |
| 4. | I Live On A Noble Bunk | 2:50 |
| 5. | And A Smoke Arose | 3:21 |
| 6. | Lux In Tenebris | 3:16 |
Credits
Written & recorded by Robert Sunday Spring 2016
Overdubs,mixing & mastering by Toby Deans
Sleeve by Dom Cooper
Originally released by Rif Mountain December 2016
Rif Mountain RM023CD
License
All rights reserved.
Robert Sunday is a solo acoustic singer-songwriter who combines elements of traditional folk,americana,poetry,and cinematic allusions.He played his first gig at Cecil Sharp House in March 2011 on the release of his debut EP 'Butterfly Hairslide' on the Rif Mountain label.Since then he has played regularly in London.This summer saw the release of his long awaited second EP 'Kith And Kin'.
Robert Sunday Archive
rifmountain.com
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