Rob Lynch
Album: All These Nights In Bars Will Somehow Save My Soul
Label: Xtra Mile
Tracks: 12
Website: https://www.facebook.com/roblynchmusic

The recent resurgence of the modern Troubadour has seen a never ending stream of singer-songwriters being dragged out of dingy Open Mic nights and into the national conscious for a good few years now. The emergence of Lincolnshire's Rob Lynch would suggest that trend is showing no sign of slowing down and quite frankly if the quality is going to be as high as this then long may it continue.

It strikes me that some of the best music of recent times is borne of life in market towns and villages. Being born and raised miles from a city means your social choices are limited but the bonds you create with friends and family are stronger for it and it's that which has provided a rich seam of ideas and experiences for Rob Lynch to mine from. Songs like 'My Friends And I' and 'Stamford' couldn't possibly be written if you'd grown up in London and it's that slice-of-life style of song writing that makes 'All These Nights…' such an enjoyable record. The pop-punk snottiness of Lynch's vocals (think a teenage Tim Booth) do take a little getting used to but once you've got your head round them they become every bit as endearing as his lyrics.

There's a real heart on sleeve honesty running right through the record but where on occasion some artists allow that to become self-indulgent Lynch bares his soul in a constantly passionate manner. 'True Romance' has echoes of teenage longing and the questions we've all asked ourselves of romance, underpinned by a Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly esque synth drumbeat. 'Some Nights' is as heartrending a song as you'll hear all year and will resonate with anyone who's faced the uncertainty of serious illness. It's a brave song that works perfectly in provoking thought and emotion without detracting from the tempo of the record as a whole. Indeed Lynch is arguably at his best when he allows his voice to soften and settle into an introspective and questioning tone befitting of acoustic lead storytelling.

With a high profile tour coming up in support of American punks-gone-folk This Wild Life, Rob Lynch has got the road and an endless supply of potential new friends in front of him. With a record like this under his belt it'll be hard for them to resist his small town charm.

Rob Fearnley