Rob Richings - Parkas and Boots

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 25 / 2 / 2017

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Armed with an acoustic guitar, a soft voice and some breezy melodies, Rob Richings’ debut album ‘Parkas and Boots’ does not immediately give the impression of having been born out of a personal trauma. Yes, these are songs that deal with moving into middle-age in a somewhat introspective fashion. But, each has an essentially hopeful outlook. Richings gives the immediate impression of being one of life’s optimists. And yet, this album would not have been made unless its author had faced a life threatening illness. Diagnosed first with a rare form of colitis in 2009, surgery then uncovered an undetected cancer. During a long recuperation (including three operations), Ritchings decided to make a genuine commitment to the music he had previously only dabbled in. Determined to make the most of his biggest passion, he found himself writing considerably better songs than he ever had before. Though in his thirties and with a young family, he gave up his job as a decorator and headed out on the road. His doctors had advised him he would, having recuperated, now lead a "relatively normal life." Instead, in his mid-thirties, he found himself on the other side of the world recording a debut album in the Sydney studio of one of his musical heroes (Chris Vallejo of Passenger). The "relatively normal" life his doctors envisaged on hold for some time yet. Before flying out to Sydney, Richings spoke of being in the middle of a hot streak that saw him writing new songs every day. The temptation might have been to overthink his first (and, let’s face it, possibly only) shot at making an album. Instead, the record that emerges from those sessions is a model of restraint – with gentle melodies accompanied by skilled and subtle musical arrangements. There is a wistful, nostalgic air to these songs – which find their narrator skipping on a tour of Southern USA and then crossing continents to Tibet. And yet, the overarching message is one of living in the moment, accepting what you have and recognising when you need to move on. The title track is a tribute to a childhood friend, with whom Richings now readily admits he has little in common. Then, the closest thing to a singalong moment is ‘Jenny’, a part-tribute, part-lament to a girl who is still out partying every night, as if it still the nineties. The song is really addressed to another friend who hopes that she will eventually settle down with him. The obvious enthusiasm of all involved in making this album comes through in the songs. The melodies stick and the careful arrangements make you want to come to them. It’s hard to imagine this record as anything other than the start of a fruitful recording career. Half an hour with ‘Parkas and Boots’ on your record deck will leave you feeling much happier about the world than you did before.

Track Listing:-

1 Parkas and Boots
2 Ten Seconds
3 Jenny
4 Half Way Up
5 Give
6 Glorious
7 Mississippi
8 Sunset In Tibet
9 Crossbow
10 Curse of the Lonely

Band Links:-

http://www.robrichings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/robrichingsmusic
https://twitter.com/robrichings
https://www.instagram.com/robrichingsmusic/
https://plus.google.com/+RobRichingsmusic

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