Rob Richings
Album: Half Way Up
Label: Crescent
Tracks: 4
Website: http://www.robrichings.com

There's no shortage of acoustic saviours of British song so it takes a special talent to stand out from the noise… which is exactly what Swindon troubadour Rob Richings does. Not that he (or anyone else for that matter) is claiming he's out to save anything, of course, other than himself from the mire of a job or a life he doesn't want. At least it certainly sounds that way from the evidence of this, his debut EP.

Rob is evidently a songsmith of the old school, brought up on lasting melodies, catchy hooks and lyrics that make you want to hear more. He's unbothered by gimmicks, would rather tell the truth than spin a line and is content to stake his songwriting claim on the things he learned from the Motown, Beatles, XTC and Simon & Garfunkel records that soundtracked his formative years.

Those records spoke of universal emotions we all understand and did so with humanity, wit and no small portion of magic. They say a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for? Well, God loves a trier too and this is the sound of a man writing and playing with every confidence that he will one grasp that which he reaches for.

The lead track is all about taking life at face value, accepting the things you can't change and electing to love every minute of what's there in spite of the best efforts of those who don't. Rob is blessed with a sweet voice, both literally and metaphorically, tempered by the hand of fate - most notably a five-year battle with a rare and life-threatening form of colitis - that adds vigour and strength to his sharp and poetic lyrics and a tune that lingers easily for days after.

More immediate perhaps, Richer Man is a rollicking invitation to sing-along that adds confident wordplay to Rob's manifest skills as a tunesmith and performer as he holds a mirror up to an instantly familiar life of just about getting away with it, the banality of injustice and the burden of self-doubt.

The plaintive Carnival casts the singer as raconteur, storyteller, soothsayer even, recounting a slice of life that celebrates goodness and obviates negativity, straddling fields of melancholy and joy. It's gently powerful stuff.

The closing Lord in the Attic was written in the Amstelkring museum in Amsterdam, home in the 17th century to clandestine Roman Catholic worship. Achingly beautiful, it's the most direct exploration of spirituality on the record and augers well for the first fruits of Rob's trip to Australia to record with Passenger producer Chris Vallejo.

These four tracks won't change the world, but they do make it a much better place to be. Can't wait to hear what happens next.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk