REVIEW: Robin Kelly — “Shadowman” (LP)
I hadn’t heard Robin Kelly before the first song on his sixth album Shadowman. “Sunrise”, however, won me over in less than thirty seconds with its cleansing texture, implied sense of promise, and overall excellence. Many of the album’s songs possess an ethereal sound without ever landing with listeners as too previous or even coy. Its sincerity will be one thing you don’t question, if nothing, about these songs and they avoid even a hint of sounding cookie-cutter or overly plotted out.
I know these songs were written before entering the studio, most likely, or at least sketched out. Each of the musicians involved had a clear idea of what they would contribute to every track. The thirteen songs on Shadowman, however, sparkle with unexpected spontaneity and have the relaxed glow of first takes with some overdubs occasionally added. It’s even more impressive when considering the level of musicianship on this album
The fleet-fingered acoustic guitar heard during “Good Morning, Captain Sir” is direct yet suitably involved. Kelly’s production picks up everything but the sound of his guitar pick scraping against the strings and the bell-like clarity of the song’s texture enhances its melodic strength. It’s a song with universal themes and appeal, but I doubt an American would write this lyric. That’s not a bad thing. The imagery, especially its title, has a New Zealand/English sensibility I hear elsewhere during Shadowman.
Two of the undisputable highlights of the album for me are “So Close to the Edge” and “Our Last Valentine”. It’s too simple to say this duo has a darker mood than other Shadowman songs. Kelly’s songs have an elastic perspective despite being invariably grounded in traditional music and even Shadowman’s weightier moments are tempered with melody, vocal and instrumental. The former derives much of its effect from its generalities. “Our Last Valentine”, however, excels highest thanks to the ear-catching duet between Kelly and Sonia Wilson.
The interplay between their voices relies on a classic formula, there’s no doubt, but the differences in their voices strike the right note. It isn’t easy getting a duet just right. Chemistry is an intangible thing and some singers search in vain for voices sympathetic to their own. Harmonica is one of the album’s underrated instruments and its scattered but nonetheless effective presence in “A Matter of Time” accentuates the song’s introspective tilt. The recurring flourishes of electric guitar are important as well.
Harmonica returns with Shadowman’s penultimate song “Aficionado (Of Your Finer Things)”, but there are unexpected instruments making their presence felt. Not expecting them doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t work for their material. It’s a relatively audacious move this far into the album but jolting listeners with a small surprise fill in the song some. Kelly’s collection is full of under the radar ambition.
He doesn’t announce it with bloated or otherwise epic arrangements. You don’t hear any bluster in these songs until you listen deeper, take in the lyrics, and appreciate his often commanding style in full. You don’t hear it until you notice the subtle but steady orchestration of its texture, the lucid progression of its songs, and the overall construction of his sixth album. It isn’t a perfect album, but Robin Kelly’s Shadowman is everything singer/songwriter fans value and more.
Colin Jordan
