Ned Roberts - Outside My Mind

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 19 / 4 / 2017

---

Review

As soon as certain albums fall into your hands you just know they are going to be special. ‘Outside My Mind’, the second album by Londoner Ned Roberts, exuded class before it even reached my CD player. The album is released by Aveline Records and the CD copy that sits proudly on the desk is dressed in what must be the thickest cardboard yet used for a gatefold CD sleeve; it’s of the same quality as those Akarma label reissues from some years back. It appears that the album isn’t available on vinyl but for once the CD cover replicates all that was great about a 12” vinyl sleeve. It’s almost a work of art alone. But it’s supposed to be all about the music, isn’t it? For those not familiar with Roberts’ eponymous debut album critical comparisons to Nick Drake and Tim Hardin set the bar high. In fact seeing those names made this writer curious but maybe for the wrong reasons. Whenever a new artist is compared to the masters from the glory days of the singer/songwriter era they hardly ever match expectations and how could they really? It took years for the general public to discover Nick Drake; guys pouring their soul out to the accompaniment of an acoustic guitar isn’t always instantly appealing. It can take time to appreciate the beauty therein and, especially in these times, that time isn’t always there. To those above names we should add James Taylor; in fact any fan of Taylor’s will find much to love across the ten original tracks on ‘Outside My Mind’ although it’s obvious that the sound Roberts and producer Luther Russell have created owes no small debt to the work of Nick Drake and Joe Boyd. For once, it seems, all the comparisons are justified. But Ned Roberts is no copyist. There’s little doubt that he has been inspired by the classic folk singer-songwriters, but rather than just duplicate the music of the past he’s added yet another dimension to it. His voice can’t fail to impress, evoking Taylor and Drake in equal parts, but there’s enough of Roberts’ own identity in there to make you take notice from the very first line. The songs mainly have a love theme and Roberts has no difficulty in painting vivid pictures with his words (“Heavy snow through the arches/No paths just prints/Every time that I see you, I fall a little deeper in”) which sung in his distinctive, crystal clear voice is alone enough to draw the listener in. When dressed, however, in Russell’s uncluttered, flawless production, the result is perfection. Russell handles the drums, electric guitar and piano on the album and every instrument is given room to breathe. The separation between instruments strangely makes for a warmer, more intimate listening experience. ‘Outside My Mind’, apart from showcasing what a talented songwriter Ned Roberts is, must be in the running for one of the best-produced albums of this year. The combination of Roberts’ inviting vocals, his knack for writing catchy tunes, and the brilliant back-up from Russell as well as the other musicians involved (Sarabeth Tucek’s angelic backing vocals included) make ‘Outside My Mind’ not only a classy album but one with all the makings of a classic. ‘Letter Home’ with a string arrangement by Hunter Noack is breathtaking; the melancholy in Roberts’ vocals is particularly touching (“I don’t say much do I darling, as we lie besides the evening/The weather’s turning but let’s see out the night”), and the subdued sound of the harmonica is but one of the many occasions when it’s clear that Roberts’ choice of producer was the right one; Russell is a master at dropping in little nuances which make each song special. ‘Lights on the River’ has been picked out as single and is a good example of Roberts’ work and sound as well as his skill as a lyricist (“The time has come to do my own thing/The trouble is you left your heart with me/I took your heart with me”). There’s a haunting quality to the song, the touches of organ adding a little warmth to the autumnal feel of the song. While, especially with a strong, soulful vocal performance from Roberts, it’s clear why this track was selected for special attention it’s far from the most impressive on the album. Even the shortest song on the album, ‘Song for the Ending’, which clocks in at just one and a half minutes, covers more ground and is more captivating than songs from Roberts’ contemporaries that are more than twice the length; again it’s those vocals and a pretty melody that draw the listener in before the lyrics hit home. Ned Roberts deserves those comparisons and then some others; over the course of ten songs he proves that he is not only a storyteller of some worth but that he has the vocal prowess to bring those words to life. Coupled with a producer who obviously shares the same vision, he has made ‘Outside My Mind’ an early highlight of this year. In closing and after a lot of deliberating and listening to the title track it can be said that listening to ‘Outside My Mind’ also evokes memories of listening to ‘Astral Weeks’; it’s that good.

Track Listing:-

1 Drifting Down
2 Through the Arches
3 Hazy Days
4 Angel Station
5 Letter Home
6 Ribbon of Water
7 Song for the Ending
8 Lights on the River
9 For Moira
10 Outside My Mind

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/NedRobertsMus
https://twitter.com/NedRobertsMusic
http://nedrobertsmusic.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nedrobert
https://plus.google.com/10820859556424