Charlie Robison's "Beautiful Day"

Charlie's recording career took a backseat to his wife and kids over the past few years. "Beautiful Day" (Dualtone), his first release in five years, chronicles the painful dissolution of his marriage. Yeah, Charlie's back but he's not happy and he's ready to play his version of electric country-rock and vent. Robison's assembled a great band with a three guitar core of Rich Brotherton, Charlie Sexton and himself that sounds as good as you'd expect based on their impressive resumes. Taking sharp jabs at the LA lifestyle of his former wife on the title track, it doesn't sound like Charlie's hoping for reconciliation. However with his cover of "Reconsider" (Gattis and Brocco) Charlie leaves the door open as he pleads "But if I tried, would you reconsider, would you reconsider coming home". Charlie's music is usually classified as country but he's always been a rocker at heart ("Well I got a T-shirt that I bought when I was twenty. It says 'Long Live Rock and Roll' " from "Feelin' Good"). With "Yellow Blues" and its psychedelic guitar and driving beat Charlie's written and recorded the best Beatles influenced rock or country track you'll hear this year. The ten track disc closes with a subdued almost mournful cover of Springsteen's "Racing in the Street". Charlie, we missed you. Let's hope it isn't another five years between records.