Robb Johnson
Album: West Pier Serenade
Label: Iregular
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.robbjohnson.co.uk

Many reviews of Robb Johnson's albums start off bemoaning the fact that Robb Johnson is not a household name, spoken about alongside the likes of Bragg & Carthy and this one is not going to break that rule. That Robb Johnson's songwriting talent don't get more coverage on national media remains a crying shame.

"West Pier Serenade" is one of two new album's that Robb has recently released on his own Irregular Records and is in its own way a mini best of album, in that he's taken a number of his previous songs and re-recorded them with simple voice, guitar and poignant fiddle from Saskia Tomkins.

This is very much an anti-war album, focusing on families ripped apart as young men are sent away to war, mainly WW1 & WW2, with many of them not coming back. As always Johnson never questions the courage of those sent to fight the wars, more the failings that put them in the field in the first place.

Robb has a real talent for bringing history to life in song. He makes you relate to the people in the songs, makes you feel you knew them or people like them. That also means that Robb doesn't gloss over simple truths that it's predominantly the working classes sent out to die in foreign fields for causes and failures of their supposed betters.

Songs like "Two Gliders For Tim" emphasise those quirks that mean one person comes back, whilst the person that trained alongside them and sat in the same glider doesn't. There are also some nice balancing songs in the set "The German Exchange" focuses on the positive of an exchange that has lead to years and years of friendship and fostered understandings.

Robb also uses subjects like the Saturday football ritual to set scenes, sometimes to build out into a bigger issue and at other times to simple remind us of the things that made family, what it was and is. Also check out "Cauliflower Curry" for a song about bringing together a group of friends.

"West Pier Serenade" is a superb collection of songs. The only disappointing things about it, is that once again, it won't get the coverage it deserves and that's a real shame.

Neil King