ROBERT WARREN: From There to Here

From There to Here is the latest from Robert Warren, an East County troubadour whose debut album, 2016’s Shuster’s Hill, was a fascinating collection of folk songs with sadness, heartbreak, and pain as prevailing themes; Warren’s nickname isn’t the “king of pain” because he does light pop.

The new album has 10 original, country-influenced folk songs, and tragedy and darkness are on the menu again, but with more a broader musical palette to choose from. The backing arrangements are more fleshed out, with the presence of ace string man Dennis Caplinger (banjo, mandolin, violin, dobro) backing Warren’s vocal, piano, and guitar, along with producer Josquin Des Pres’ bass, and Lynn Niesham’s backing vocals. This album features harmonies and more musical variety than the debut, and the moves combine with Warren’s top-notch, aged-oak voice to grab the listener effectively on several tracks.

The opening track, “I Don’t Want to Do This Anymore,” is fairly typical Warren fare: “I don’t want to talk anymore/ That sound you hear is my heart breaking forevermore.” The downer message is surrounded by an envelope of fiddle, dobro, and picked guitar that is almost lush, augmenting the vocal beautifully. Warren is wistful of his old days on “Boulder,” as he sticks with introspective tunes. The banjo and fiddle work by Caplinger pop on this song, giving the upbeat song an injection of positive energy. “Another Love Song” is Warren doing what he does best, a breakup song about unsuccessfully trying to write a love song; it is catchy but ends abruptly before it seems to be finished.

The disc highlight is “Darla’s Arms” as Warren shows how good he is at painting a storyboard; he tells about his alcohol-fueled relationship with a longtime woman friend, “If I can’t make it home tonight, things will be alright in Darla’s arms.” In under three and a half catchy minutes, Warren’s tale unfolds all the way to the inevitable frozen death at the end, recalling songs of doomed relationships by artists like Johnny Cash going back 60 years. The next track is totally different–and equally satisfying. “Pretty Island Girl” is understated, with a touching vocal expressing devotion to the woman who changed his life. Picked guitar figures and percussion sea sounds form a perfect backdrop.

Warren turns inward for “My Dear Addiction,” as he sings, “I’ve finally hit rock bottom, there’s nowhere left to go/ I tried to drink the whiskey river dry.” The confessional gives him a chance to check off his regrets, and while he still considers it a “good life,” many of his plans sound like a 12-step program. The title song is mounted on a solid canvas featuring violin, dobro, and smart percussion, as Warren goes for an anthem here, and is at least partially succeeds-the song has a good hook, his lyrics weaving a portrait of a society and time in a state of flux, with deficits in understanding and tolerance.

Robert Warren’s new disc has much to offer for fans of original, personal
folk music.