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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Song / On Tour Robust Worlds - "Best Wishes"

Posted by Kathy Fennessy on Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 10:31 AM

De Stijl

I haven't heard the entirety of Robust Worlds' Emotional Planet, because I'm still getting caught up on all the music released on Sept. 18—Sic Alps, Rangda, etc.—but "Best Wishes" is a stunner, and I hope it bodes well for the full-length.

Clint Simonson's intro cites several other fine musical stylists, so I have faith:

Chris Rose's Robust Worlds has impressed us since first glimpse. He was actually barefoot, if you can believe that, and his set had the feel of a way more lysergic Kevin Ayers. It was freezing fucking cold and I'm pretty sure he wore a Hawaiian shirt. His debut LP is called Emotional Planet, and it's deceptively simple. Voice, guitar, some noisy shit, whatever. His playing is sick—fluid, unforced, warm, soothed, and soothing. It's a bath you don't want to exit. Seriously, if yr going to play guitar, play it like he does. With a trick in his back pocket and a Heavy Moon on his mind, Rose utilizes the sort of neo-noir narratives that you hear thru Neil Michael Hagerty, James Jackson Toth, Kurt Vile, and other keen observers. Handguns, b&e, two-lane black tops, love and lust, and hard drugs. Life: summed up!

Postscript: I've now listened to the whole thing. With his androgynous voice and lyrical playing, the comparison to Hagerty (ex-Royal Trux) makes perfect sense.