Indie Spotlight: Steve Robinson, Brian Dolzani, EVVAN and others
Indie Spotlight's May 2021 rundown reviews artists such as Steve Robinson, Brian Dolzani, EVVAN and others.
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A resident of western North Carolina,
Steve Robinson can boast an impressive resume. A former leader of the Orlando-based Americana band the Headlights, he served a stint as a backing musician for Byrd man Roger McGuinn, a distinction he well deserved given his knack for breezy harmonies and richly textured repasts. His new album, given the illuminating title
Swallowing the Sun, was, by Robinson’s own admission, several years in the making, but the results are clearly worthwhile. The shimmering soundscapes veer towards the sound of pure pop with a genuine Brit rock infusion, courtesy of the sonic flourish provided by co-producer Ed Woltil and the impressive George Harrison-like slide guitar that comes courtesy of XTC's Dave Gregory and the pedal steel playing of his former Headlights bandmate Steve Connelly. There’s a dream-like drift to several of the songs as well as an effervescent sheen that finds each entry absolutely enticing even at the outset. Robinson’s regal melodies offer the essence of a timeless treasure, with each track as absolutely effusive as the next. This