Music Review: Rich Robinson, The Ceaseless Sight

By Melissa Bratcher

Black Crowes’ guitarist and songwriter, Rich Robinson, writes amazing choruses. On his third solo album, The Ceaseless Sight, Robinson sings of love and happiness, as well as the flip side of that, with candor and a seeker’s quest to make sense of it all. While lyrically, the songs are interesting, the choruses are brilliant nuggets of rhythm and melody that are so striking and ear-wormy that I found myself humming them constantly.

To pick a standout track on The Ceaseless Sight would be to choose them all. There’s not a bad song on the album. Robinson’s voice is changeable—sometimes sounding like Karl Wallinger from World Party, sometimes reminiscent of Steve Miller—but at the same time it is purely his. The expansive “Down The Road,” about a man who’s feeling the freedom of shrugging off his old life, has a delightful, country-tinged chorus with lovely harmonies. It’s a perfect summer tune. “I Know You” has another luminous chorus as well as a sweet guitar solo at the bridge.

Robinson teams up with vocalist Amy Helm (Levon’s daughter!) on the elegant “One Road Hill.” All handclaps and harmonies with chiming guitars and a gorgeous driving chorus, it also features exquisitely understated piano from Marco Benevento. “The Giving Key,” also with Helm, finds Robinson letting go with his vocals. They’re loose and bluesy, while Helm throws in grace notes that add much to the texture. The last verse, which he sings mostly alone, is tears-inducing and moving.

The Ceaseless Sight is quite a personal record. Rich Robinson is clearly working through things, like on “This Unfortunate Show” and “I Remember,” both about a relationship falling apart, while “In You” is a love song. I suppose that it’s lucky for Robinson that heartbreak and happiness are both endless wells of inspiration.

Rich Robinson has a great gift for melody. He makes clever rhythmic choices on the rambling yet tight “Inside” (with yet another killer chorus). “I Have A Feeling” is hopeful, spacey, and loose with his guitar floating in and out of focus. “We need to seek and question everything” and “darkness will never win in this world,” are sentiments that he shares. It’s deep, man.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Rich Robinson. He was so young when he started The Black Crowes and seemed thoughtful and talented, perhaps content to toil in the shadows. With The Ceaseless Sight, Rich Robinson has come out of those shadows (ugh, sorry) and shown who he is. I like him even better now.

The Ceaseless Sight was released by The End Records on June 3.

Tour Dates:
North America:
June 6th – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ Jackie Greene Band
June 8th – Washington, DC @ The Hamilton w/ Jackie Greene Band
June 10th – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater w/ Jackie Greene Band
June 11th – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley w/ Jackie Greene Band
June 12th – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
June 27th – St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theater
June 28th – Kansas City, MO @ Crossroads w/ Robert Randolph
Jul 1st – Vail, CO @ Bud Light Hot Summer Nights
Jul 2nd – Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
Jul 15th – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Jul 16th – Spokane, WA @ Riverside Event Center
Jul 17th – Seattle, WA @ The Tractor
Jul 18th – Jacksonville, OR @ Pritt Pavilion w/ Tedeschi Trucks Band
Jul 20th – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Jul 22nd – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre w/ Tedeschi Trucks Band
Jul 24th – Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club Casino
Jul 25th – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Jul 27th – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room
Aug 4th – Whitesburg, KY @ Summit City
Aug 6th – Bowling Green, KY @ Warehouse at Mt Victor
Aug 7th – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite
Aug 8th – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theater
Aug 9th – Charleston, SC @ Pour House
Aug 10th – Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall
Aug 12th – Columbus, OH @ Woodlands Park Street Patio
Aug 14th – New Hope, PA @ Havana
Aug 15th – Teaneck, NJ @ Mexicali Live
Aug 16 – Scranton, PA @ Peach Music Fest
Aug 19 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre w/ Jonny Lang
Aug 21 – Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
Aug 23 – Fairfield, CT @ Stage One
Aug 24 – Barstow, MD @ South Maryland Blues Festival
Aug 27 – Buffalo, NY @ Waiting Room
Sept 11th – Kitchener, ON Canada @ The Centre in the Square

Europe:
June 18th – London, England @ The Borderline
June 19th – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
June 20th – Hengelo, NL @ Metropool
June 21st – Zoetemeer, NL @ Boerderij
June 22nd – Warsaw, Poland @ Progreja Music Zone