Posted: 28 June 2013 at 2:37pm | IP Logged

Without Your Fire – Rob Halligan  - reviewed by Tim Nevell

In this new short download album (do we call it an EP?), Rob offers us a welcome sandwich of songs, that harks back almost a decade and brings us right up to date. The outer layers, i.e. the first and last tracks are well known to followers of Rob’s music: The opener, “Seagulls” is a reworking of the song, “Dancing with Seagulls” that, for most of us marks the beginning of Rob’s solo recording career, and which obviously has an important place in his heart. A fuller, and musically more complex sound does not in any way bury the original spirit of the song, the original recording of which still stands well on its own merits.

“Where Sweeter Rains Fall”, from “The Perils, the Grace and the Way” album is here stripped down to acoustic guitar  and double bass provided by Si Haydon. It is the version that  was played on Songs of Praise, and it is good to have this on the album. On my download it is unfortunately considerably quieter than the other tracks – my only regret.

The filling of the sandwich comprises 3 newer songs,: “I Can’t Make You Walk” looks set to become a favourite, with it’s infectious sing along chorus. If Rob’s plans to create a video with assorted friends singing and “walking” along come to fruition then many of us may yet share a few seconds of fame. The rhythmic percussive main chorus is reminiscent  of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” .

“In the Valley” starts off, musically speaking like something from Bob Dylan’s “Modern Times”, with biblical images of the shepherd leading his flock. ”There are shadows in the valley, but there’s sunshine on the hill”, we are told, a theme which is picked up in the chorus, and becomes the overriding statement of this song. After a lifting guitar break we are propelled into the full gospel anthem that this was always going to become.

The title song, “Without Your Fire” is, for my money an absolute masterpiece. We are treated to a beautifully crafted, bluesy, melancholic weave of guitars, with Rob’s vocals proclaiming “Without your fire, I’m a barren man”. It is a song that I’d love to hear sung by Van Morrison or BB King, but Rob Halligan  proves to us here that he is a worthy singer in this tradition too.

So, a musical  sandwich that is just the right length to listen to whilst eating a plate of the edible kind, over lunch or during a long elevenses. For a minimum of 4 pounds via Bandcamp, that’s good value for money.