Blue Giant - Blue Giant (Vanguard)

This debut LP chronicles the two-year gestation of Viva Voce ’s two songwriter/musicians, Kevin Robinson and Anita Robinson ’s attempt to form a side-band country-rock supergroup. Desiring an outlet outside their main vehicle, the pair out of Alabama and Tennessee hooked up with the indie rock royalty of their adopted Portland, OR, taking on Chris Funk of The Decemberists , who knows a thing or two about some of the ‘60s California influences that percolate behind these tracks (adding distinctive pedal steel on “Lonely Girl,” “Target Heart,” “Gone For Good,” etc., as well as banjo, bouzouki, and his trademark medieval drone instrument, hurdy gurdy. Sadly, he and bassist/keyboardist Seth Lorinczi of The Golden Bears and Circus Lupus have now left the group (and Sleater-Kinney ’s Corin Tucker ’s appearance here is only a cameo), but their contributions are all over this wonderful record (and drummer Evan Railton of Swords remains in the lineup going forward). Indeed, expanding on their self-released 2008 EP Target Heart , the supergroup throw themselves heartily into The Byrds (they’ve been known to cover that incredible band’s 1968 Notorious Byrd Brothers version of Goffin and King ’s “I Wasn’t Born to Follow,” well known from 1969’s Easy Rider movie), Gram Parsons’ various guises, Buffalo Springfield’s third LP, etc. In this they should be a southern California band, as they are truly plowing much of the same fields as those ‘60’s L.A. bands’ current Hollywood/Silver Lake heirs such as Everest and the latest album by Darker My Love. Which is to say the country aspects are from the golden era of cowboy hat music, not the modern rubbish, and when pushes comes to shove, they come down on the side of guitar rock with late ‘60s leads and crystalline melodies. (Anita’s singing is particularly angelic as usual, on “When Will the Sun Shine,” “Lonely Girl,” and whenever they give her a go at the mic.) Alt.country rock might be a fad that’s faded, as they always do when they become too faddish; but that just leaves the field once again for those who truly love and understand the style, and too many of these songs seem too timeless to be ignored—no matter whom the Robinson’s continue on with outside of Viva. (vanguardrecords.com)