ROB DRABKIN
''LITTLE STEPS''
AUGUST 9 2013
33:19
**********
01 - For You I Would Die 04:20
02 - Down to Fate 04:20
03 - Little Steps (Radio Edit) 03:16
04 - Stay (The Morning Light Fades) 05:43
05 - A Bird Lost 03:28
06 - Interlude 01:17
07 - Hope in a Hopeless World 02:58
08 - Don't Worry About Me (with Colorado Symphony) 04:27
09 - Feeling Good Again 03:27
**********
ABOUT THE ALBUM
John Powell
The last time we heard from Rob Drabkin was his double disc live set where he played all of Paul Simon’s Graceland. Before that, On These Heavy Feet had Simon’s sense of muted guitar play and melodic precision. Rob returns with Little Steps, and it’s his best work to date.
Rob’s one of those musicians that only needs his guitar and voice to enchant you, and if there’s bass and drums to fill in the space, all the better, but Little Steps is full of healthy risks. His voice is murky like Dave Matthews and like Simon, Rob focuses on the song structure, drawing up interesting imagery and metaphor.
“For You I Would Die” opens the album, resounding like a teenage anthem. The slight country slide guitar and focused, intense drums (great work overall, Brian McRae), and the introduction of organ partway through, meld into instrumentation that could bring a tear to your eye. Rob’s voice is forever straddling Michael Stipe and Matthews, but you can pick out his thoughtful lyrics eventually. “You were the night/ and I was a broken down car light/ only trying to shine through,” Rob sings over the rock groove.
Rob flexes his guitar chops more than ever, and not by soloing, but in the acoustic numbers, like on “Stay”, where he picks his way sweetly through the emo. “And the morning light fades,” he sings. “You stay/ stay with all your heart.” The vibe is similar on “Don’t Worry About Me”, which features the Colorado Symphony. Here, though, he wields electric guitar that shimmers over cascading strings. “On a cold night/ the devil walks by,” Rob sets the stage. “I can still breathe/ I stand on my own.” In four minutes the song never rises above a whisper, and it’s beautiful.
“Little Steps” first appeared on On These Heavy Feet, but returns here with horns replacing the organ line we’re familiar with. The new version is different enough from the previous that they both stand alone. I’m not exactly sure why Rob was compelled to re-record it, honestly. Regardless, it’s such a damn good song that he could probably put new versions on all his albums and we wouldn’t mind.
The best track, however, is “Down to Fate”. The tom-heavy drumming and sparse, growing guitar glitz is reminiscent of The Joshua Tree, and the lyrics are eerie, insightful, and painful. “I’ve seen good times turn into bad times,” Rob sings in the chorus, and the line buries itself in you. The song slowly, slowly escalates until it blooms. “I’ve made my peace with pain,” Rob adds on another version of the chorus.
Lyrically, Rob dances with cohesion, but usually leans more towards the mysterious. “Feeling Good Again” is an exception, and it’s the earnest storytelling that makes this song the second best on the album.
Rob Drabkin should be a name you know because he’s a hardworking musician with a love of music and a knack for making it. Little Steps is just kooky enough that he takes the familiar and re-imagines it. I’m impressed with this album and can’t wait for more.
**********
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
The music of Rob Drabkin is spirited in nature, light from the heart and rocking on the six-string acoustic. The 70’s style afro is as unavoidable as his ubiquitous grin, but it’s his music that's put him on national tours and landed him sets at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. Rob and his band have become a force in the live scene, touring nationally as headliners and supporting acts such as John Butler Trio, Trevor Hall and Big Head Todd & The Monsters. Rob's full band performances are high-energy blending improvisation and rock while retaining an earnest singer/songwriter background.
Rob has made impressive creative strides in the past few years, and his most recent 2015 album shows just how far his live performances have come. With earnestness and originality, Drabkin and his band thrive within stylistic excursions that range from driving folk rock to understated experiments with classical musicians. His powerful vocals and syncopated guitar drive the soaring opener, "For You I Would Die" and his strumming complements top-notch keyboard and percussion work. “Little Steps,” the title track, takes the listener from zero to 60 on the first downbeat as a lively horn section heralds a sophisticated, feel good rock song.
In 2013 Rob released one of the most unique live albums to come out of Colorado, “Live At The Bluebird Theater 1.19.12” On this particular night, the band released a brand new set of originals as well as a cover of the legendary Paul Simon album, “Graceland” in it’s entirety. The sold-out show generated so much buzz world-renowned Boulder Theater and similar clubs around the country started soliciting Rob to headline. Since then theaters, festivals and Triple A radio stations around the country have caught onto Rob making him a staple in the national scene. He has received multiple invitations to perform live in KBCO along with serious airplay on Sirius XM, Music Choice, KINK, Triple M Radio and charting on Relix Magazine and FMQB.
Rob’s life was not always that of a full time touring and recording musician. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he studied Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Spanish in hopes of achieving an MD/PhD. Music had officially been sidelined as a hobby until he took a life-changing trip to New York with his family. "My Dad played Jazz full time 30 years before he got into medicine. We re-connected with his old musician friends and it was inspiring to see them playing night after night for so many years. That night I dropped science, dedicating myself to music, and finding a voice of my own. I never sang a note till that night. After school I moved in with my parents, spent every working hour practicing and honed all songwriting skills I could.” After writing enough songs for an open mic set, Rob stormed onto Denver’s music scene, setting his career in motion. He assembled a dream powerhouse band; featuring Brian McRae on drums, Bijoux Barbosa on bass, Eric Moon on keys and Dave Preston on electric guitar. Rob's career is in full motion as his latest effort "Live Vol. II" prepares him for his next national tour.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
''LITTLE STEPS''
AUGUST 9 2013
33:19
**********
01 - For You I Would Die 04:20
02 - Down to Fate 04:20
03 - Little Steps (Radio Edit) 03:16
04 - Stay (The Morning Light Fades) 05:43
05 - A Bird Lost 03:28
06 - Interlude 01:17
07 - Hope in a Hopeless World 02:58
08 - Don't Worry About Me (with Colorado Symphony) 04:27
09 - Feeling Good Again 03:27
**********
ABOUT THE ALBUM
John Powell
The last time we heard from Rob Drabkin was his double disc live set where he played all of Paul Simon’s Graceland. Before that, On These Heavy Feet had Simon’s sense of muted guitar play and melodic precision. Rob returns with Little Steps, and it’s his best work to date.
Rob’s one of those musicians that only needs his guitar and voice to enchant you, and if there’s bass and drums to fill in the space, all the better, but Little Steps is full of healthy risks. His voice is murky like Dave Matthews and like Simon, Rob focuses on the song structure, drawing up interesting imagery and metaphor.
“For You I Would Die” opens the album, resounding like a teenage anthem. The slight country slide guitar and focused, intense drums (great work overall, Brian McRae), and the introduction of organ partway through, meld into instrumentation that could bring a tear to your eye. Rob’s voice is forever straddling Michael Stipe and Matthews, but you can pick out his thoughtful lyrics eventually. “You were the night/ and I was a broken down car light/ only trying to shine through,” Rob sings over the rock groove.
Rob flexes his guitar chops more than ever, and not by soloing, but in the acoustic numbers, like on “Stay”, where he picks his way sweetly through the emo. “And the morning light fades,” he sings. “You stay/ stay with all your heart.” The vibe is similar on “Don’t Worry About Me”, which features the Colorado Symphony. Here, though, he wields electric guitar that shimmers over cascading strings. “On a cold night/ the devil walks by,” Rob sets the stage. “I can still breathe/ I stand on my own.” In four minutes the song never rises above a whisper, and it’s beautiful.
“Little Steps” first appeared on On These Heavy Feet, but returns here with horns replacing the organ line we’re familiar with. The new version is different enough from the previous that they both stand alone. I’m not exactly sure why Rob was compelled to re-record it, honestly. Regardless, it’s such a damn good song that he could probably put new versions on all his albums and we wouldn’t mind.
The best track, however, is “Down to Fate”. The tom-heavy drumming and sparse, growing guitar glitz is reminiscent of The Joshua Tree, and the lyrics are eerie, insightful, and painful. “I’ve seen good times turn into bad times,” Rob sings in the chorus, and the line buries itself in you. The song slowly, slowly escalates until it blooms. “I’ve made my peace with pain,” Rob adds on another version of the chorus.
Lyrically, Rob dances with cohesion, but usually leans more towards the mysterious. “Feeling Good Again” is an exception, and it’s the earnest storytelling that makes this song the second best on the album.
Rob Drabkin should be a name you know because he’s a hardworking musician with a love of music and a knack for making it. Little Steps is just kooky enough that he takes the familiar and re-imagines it. I’m impressed with this album and can’t wait for more.
**********
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
The music of Rob Drabkin is spirited in nature, light from the heart and rocking on the six-string acoustic. The 70’s style afro is as unavoidable as his ubiquitous grin, but it’s his music that's put him on national tours and landed him sets at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. Rob and his band have become a force in the live scene, touring nationally as headliners and supporting acts such as John Butler Trio, Trevor Hall and Big Head Todd & The Monsters. Rob's full band performances are high-energy blending improvisation and rock while retaining an earnest singer/songwriter background.
Rob has made impressive creative strides in the past few years, and his most recent 2015 album shows just how far his live performances have come. With earnestness and originality, Drabkin and his band thrive within stylistic excursions that range from driving folk rock to understated experiments with classical musicians. His powerful vocals and syncopated guitar drive the soaring opener, "For You I Would Die" and his strumming complements top-notch keyboard and percussion work. “Little Steps,” the title track, takes the listener from zero to 60 on the first downbeat as a lively horn section heralds a sophisticated, feel good rock song.
In 2013 Rob released one of the most unique live albums to come out of Colorado, “Live At The Bluebird Theater 1.19.12” On this particular night, the band released a brand new set of originals as well as a cover of the legendary Paul Simon album, “Graceland” in it’s entirety. The sold-out show generated so much buzz world-renowned Boulder Theater and similar clubs around the country started soliciting Rob to headline. Since then theaters, festivals and Triple A radio stations around the country have caught onto Rob making him a staple in the national scene. He has received multiple invitations to perform live in KBCO along with serious airplay on Sirius XM, Music Choice, KINK, Triple M Radio and charting on Relix Magazine and FMQB.
Rob’s life was not always that of a full time touring and recording musician. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he studied Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Spanish in hopes of achieving an MD/PhD. Music had officially been sidelined as a hobby until he took a life-changing trip to New York with his family. "My Dad played Jazz full time 30 years before he got into medicine. We re-connected with his old musician friends and it was inspiring to see them playing night after night for so many years. That night I dropped science, dedicating myself to music, and finding a voice of my own. I never sang a note till that night. After school I moved in with my parents, spent every working hour practicing and honed all songwriting skills I could.” After writing enough songs for an open mic set, Rob stormed onto Denver’s music scene, setting his career in motion. He assembled a dream powerhouse band; featuring Brian McRae on drums, Bijoux Barbosa on bass, Eric Moon on keys and Dave Preston on electric guitar. Rob's career is in full motion as his latest effort "Live Vol. II" prepares him for his next national tour.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
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