Robin Trower is an artist I’ve been familiar with for as long as I can remember. I recall being very young (somewhere between 3 and 5) when my mom would regularly spin his 1977 album, In City Dreams. Her favorite song was “Bluebird” (a beautifully crafted ballad), and I would just stare at the trippy album art as Trower’s groovy guitar licks filled my ears. Come my formative junior high headbanger years, I’d be acquainted with Trower again, as “Too Rolling Stoned” and “Day of the Eagle” became anthems. Throughout high school and especially college, I’d buy his 70s and 80s output at second hand record stores; each album offering a special glimpse into the world of this musical genius.
Fast forward to 2022. Despite now being 76 years old, Trower shows zero sign of slowing down with the release of his latest studio album, No More Worlds to Conquer. He’s mostly left the bluesy hard rock style that put him on the map behind, these days playing a more traditional blues rock style, but don’t let that deter you. Trower can still cook up a tasty jam, chock full of memorable melodies, top-tier musicianship, and that legendary acid soaked lead guitar tone, which has kept many an aspiring axe slinger up at night. Is it the greatest guitar tone ever laid on tape? I’m inclined to say so!
Worlds comes storming out of the gate with the energetic “Ball of Fire”. Boasting a driving hard rock riff, rip roaring solo, and the soulful vocals of Richard Watts, which at many times channels the spirit of late Trower frontman James Dewar, it sets the tone for an album that carries on the spirit of that classic 70s era, but without rehashing it. Whether it be the ominous “Deadly Kiss”, nostalgic “Waiting for the Rain to Fall”, or ferociously funky “Cloud Across the Sun”, there’s something about the production and overall delivery of this album that screams “retro”. It also helps that Trower’s bandmates are as locked in as he is when performing these songs.
When he isn’t unleashing one psychedelic solo after the next, Trower showcases another dimension of his playing/songwriting with a handful of blues ballads. These slower songs makes up about half of Worlds, and while that would be a let down if this were any other guitarist, this is Trower: a master of his craft. From the gentle vibes of the title track, to the torch song tropes of “Wither on the Vain”, and even the dramatic “Fire to Ashes”, Trower leaves an indelible mark on each of these ballads. A commercialist sell-out, this is not. After all, what corporate radio station is going to play the latest from a bluesman well into his sixth decade of making music? Maybe they should. Then they wouldn’t be the laughing stock of true rock fans nationwide.
Because Trower is my second favorite guitarist of all time (Uli Jon Roth will always be #1), my bias weighs heavily in the veteran’s favor when reviewing this album. That said, I truly feel Worlds is Trower’s strongest outing in quite some time. That isn’t a knock at prior releases (I quite enjoyed 2019’s Coming Closer to the Day), but they came off as distant cousins of Bridge of Sighs. Worlds, on the other hand, could be that record’s son. Assuming that’s the case, it was raised well!
7 out of 10
Label: Provogue
Genre: Blues Rock
For fans of: Mahogany Rush, Gary Moore, Savoy Brown