Robert Randolph spent his formative years playing “sacred steel music” – a form of gospel played on pedal steel guitar – and the same sense of joy that one might expect from such a musical form has translated to his original work. An acclaimed guitarist, Robert has graced the stage a number of times at Eric Clapton’s Crossroad Festival and was recently voted one of the hundred greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. For his latest work, Brighter Days, Robert and The Family Band teamed up with renowned producer Dave Cobb to create a euphoric, ten-track album that flies past in what feels like a matter of minutes, leaving the listener dizzy and euphoric in its wake.
The album opens with the funky strut and soulful underpinnings of Baptise Me, a track that is driven by gritty, over-driven guitar and Danyel Morgan’s exceptionally nimble basslines. Suffused with a love of life and a sense of joy in the shared creativity of making music, Baptise Me, is a fiery entrance and it sets the album up perfectly. The pace is slowed on the gorgeous late-summer blues of Simple Man, a song that seems to be kissed by the setting sun as Robert’s sweet slide evokes hazy images of dusty yards overlooking a wide expanse of prairie land. The soul returns on the stunning Cry Over Me, a vocally stunning entry (led by Lenesha Randolph) that mixes sweet soul and glorious gospel before giving way to some of the album’s most sublime soloing. The spring-heeled funk-blues of Second Hand Man is up next and it carries itself with a twinkle in its eye reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s Custard Pie, Robert and his band happy to drop in some grittier riffing when the mood takes them. The first half of the album concludes with the Floyd-esque Have Mercy, the subtle, echoing slide guitar harking back to the grandeur of Breathe before the band draw the piece in an altogether bluesier direction. A remarkable, proggy offering that seems to cover a great deal of musical ground in just four, short minutes, Have Mercy really does encapsulate the wonder at the heart of his record.
The second half of the album opens on a moment of relaxed blues, the gentle yearning of I Need You recalling Eric Clapton’s Pattie Boyd years. Marcus Randolph’s storming beat leads into the boisterous I’m Living Off The Love You Give, a track infinitely boosted by the interplay between Robert and Lenesha on vocals, the latter blessed with a wonderful voice that lights up the room every time she sings a note. A Cream influence is revealed on the tough-as-nails Cut ‘Em Loose, a track that sees hulking riffs sweetened by soulful vocals, whilst Marcus keeps the beat loose and the track dancing. Speaking of dancing, the band really cut a rug on Don’t Fight It, another example of Danyel’s dexterity as the bass runs wild around the riffs and sends the fast-moving piece into orbit. The album ends with the rambunctious Strange Train, a lengthy, Gospel-infused workout that’ll have listeners dancing in the aisles before the lead vocal even kicks in. it’s the perfect ending for the album and it provides plenty of opportunity for Robert to send his fingers flying over the fretboard as his band whip up a storm behind him.
Brighter Days is a remarkable album in every respect. The sense of joy that seems to shine through every note is as much a part of the music as the exceptional skills that Robert and his band bring to bear and, from start to finish, the album ensnares the senses and enlivens the spirit. Beautifully produced, thanks to Dave Cobb’s natural affinity for the form, brighter days is one of the year’s most ebullient releases and it is an absolute treasure. 10
