Blake Anthony Robson – For The Last Time (2020)
Maintaining a DIY ethic, London-based singer-songwriter Blake Anthony Robson is a “more or less 360-degree solo artist with a little help from his friends.” After releasing his self-recorded and produced debut album The Monster’s Sleeping in 2018, Robson has experimented with different genres to find an eclectic and innovative sound. Ranging from indie-rock to dream-pop, this multi-instrumentalist has found his comfort zone somewhere between folk and indie-pop. Already featured in The Other Side Reviews for his singles ‘Alabaster Baby’ and ‘Signal Dilemma’, Robson is back on our radar with his latest track ‘For The Last Time’.
A follow-up to the synth-driven and 80s-pop flavoured ‘This Machine Is Emptied Daily’, ‘For The Last Time’ returns to the folk-inspired sound from ‘Alabaster Baby’. An acoustic guitar-driven track, ‘For The Last Time’ uses basic instrumentation with raw vocals to enhance a degree of sensitive simplicity. Not a fan of folk music, although I do turn up Carol King and Janis Ian on occasion, Robson’s latest single defines the folk genre in its purest form. Influenced by The Beatles, The Strokes, Johnny Cash and, would you believe it, Beethoven, Robson lists a wide range of inspiration, but this single is far more reminiscent of Johnny Cash and James Taylor than Beethoven.
What I find particularly interesting in this unembellished track is how Robson’s soft, soothing vocals amplify the melancholy in his sombre lyrical content. Known for poignant singles underlying tranquil vocals, ‘For The Last Time’ is merely evidence of Robson’s unique style of straightforward depth…if that even makes sense. In ‘For The Last Time’ he mentions the sun setting “for the last time”, while I hope the sun will continue to rise I am glad I ended the day with this poignant, moving and overwhelming track.
Find out more about Blake Anthony Robson on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
