Robbie Greig – Thunder From A Clear Sky (Album Review)

The new album from Australian singer-songwriter Robbie Greig is every bit as groovy and melodic as fans of the seasoned Melbourne artist have come to expect. With multiple genres such as rock, folk, jazz and blues coming to play in Greig’s colourful musical concoctions, there is much to unwrap on the memorable ‘Thunder From A Clear Sky’.

Starting out in thunderous fashion, the opening track ‘The Storyteller’ kicks off the album’s 7 offerings with a stirring drum intro and delightful brass-led melody. With Greig’s charming vocals announcing “Make way for the storyteller”, a mysterious and seemingly immortal character described as a “fallen angel” is introduced from the beginning of the song while rousing trumpets and striking drum rolls call forth the imagery of a faraway and fantastical land.

Greig’s expressive vocals are a major part of what makes these lyrics sound so enticing and imaginative; his raw vocal performance allowing for Greig to take center stage as a narrator in this intriguing tale. The combination of trumpet and acoustic guitar at the heart of this track lends ‘The Storyteller’ an old-school vibe that sings of 1970s folk rock; a combination that is as pleasing to the ear as it is deeply nostalgic.

The 2nd track ‘Razorback Ridge’ is another acoustically-led folk-rock ballad that delivers a lazy and lilting ambiance through the song’s calming and constant slow tempo as well as the harmonious and seemingly effortless marriage of Greig’s natural croon and the acoustic guitar’s gentle melody.

However, despite the track’s outwardly soothing musical arrangement, the lyrics tell a very different story. With the lyrics at first reflecting the instrumental’s peaceful mood by focusing on a woman’s camping trip and the serene nature surrounding her, they suddenly became tragic after an earthquake left the woman stranded on the titular “Razorback Ridge’.

Dramatic lyrical imagery such as “half the mountain fell away” and “everywhere she looked the rocks rose up like blades” provide a shocking disparity to the song’s overall atmosphere, and therefore contribute to making this track as memorable as it is.

Track 3, ‘The Long Way Home’, returns to the cool and still quality echoed in ‘The Storyteller’. This time the track begins with a long instrumental blend of acoustic guitar, faint drum beats, and the deeply tranquil sounds of the ocean waves. Greig’s wistfully sentimental vocals sing of “taking the long way home” and blend seamlessly amidst a resounding guitar solo and comforting sounds of the natural landscape.

Despite its relatively short runtime of just over 3 minutes, ‘The Long Way Home’ almost manages to feel like a fever dream or long-forgotten memory; subtle harmonies and gentle instrumental accompaniments help to create a wonderfully resonant piece of sound that transports the listener away from everyday worries and back into the far recesses of their mind. With lyrics pertaining to “only moving a step at a time” and “trying to slow me down”, this is truly a song to unwind to when a busy day draws to a close.

On the 4th track, ‘Business As Usual’, Greig returns to his familiar swinging blend of jazzy groove, combining an echoing brass accompaniment with a sprightly vocal melody that is immediately appealing in its cheerful and simplistic execution. Again it is the lyrics, which are rife with heavy social and environmental criticism pointing out companies’ and world leaders’ inability to act on the climate crisis, which contain the hook for this unsuspectingly upbeat song.

With Greig highlighting “Alarm bells ringing out across the land” and “We’re getting closer to the tipping point”, the signs and consequences of climate change are unveiled in the most candid of ways. It is clear where Greig’s blame lies though as he protests “We keep stoking the big machine” and feeding the corporate “sickness” that only prioritises the wealthy and privileged, even at the cost of the environment. ‘Business As Usual’ is an incredibly revealing dive deep into Greig’s honest contemplations of today’s world, as well as serving as a welcome outlook on a currently hotly debated topic.

The album’s closing track ‘Yet Another Day In Iso’ is a jovial end to the album, with Greig humming leisurely over the top of an acoustic and glitchy electronic base. The lyrics perfectly portray what joy this track expresses; the line “The morning’s bright and the music’s right” conveys this song’s carefree and singable quality that does not disappoint in its ear-worm harmonies and catchy lyrical repetitions.

Score/Excellent: ‘Thunder From A Clear Sky’ is a feel-good album brimming with finely crafted tunes inspired by a wide variety of genres, allowing diverse audiences to become attuned to Greig’s addictively eclectic style. This is an album that not only gives the audience what they want to hear from this experienced artist but also highlights Greig as a singer who cares deeply about the world in which his music circulates.

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