SARA ROBINSON BAND – If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing (2017)

“If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing” is the first album from the ‘new’ SARA ROBINSON BAND featuring a completely fresh line-up but of course always fronted by this young American promising singer.
In fact, Sara Robinson is already much more than a promise, with a couple of recordings under her belt but now 2017 focused as never before delivering a great Classic Rock album with an incredible sonic depth.

Sara not only looks gorgeous, her pipes are something the world need to be noticed. Her vocal timbre reminds me of a young Robin Beck but oriented to the rawer, intense rocking side she & the band delivers on “If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing”.
Guitarist Yod Aquarian Paul has a style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix and the first, visceral Jimmy Page, while the rhytm section of PC (bass) and Konstantine Bosch (drums) is tight during the uptempo moments and wide on the calmer.

“If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing” is an album done in the old-fashioned way to obtain ‘that’ Classic Rock sound. It’s analog recording using reel to reel open tapes, and Sara’s vocals were taken on separated tracks and then mixed creating a strong vibe.
Yod Aquarian Paul played his guitars through a classic 1975 Musicman HD-130 guitar amplifier on the leads, but in a departure from the norm he used a 1964 Fender Bassman with a 2×12 cabinet for the rhythm parts.
Additionally, vintage reverbs and compressors were used to ramp up the drums and bass into a punchy driving rock sound.

So “If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing” is all about classic stuff.
I mentioned Sara’s vocal timbre similar to Robin Beck, but she push ’em for the most part to a higher register, always in control. There’s shades of Janis Joplin in her style too, but as well as Ann Wilson in The Lovemongers or Heart’s classic years.

Songs like the hot n’ bluesy ‘Muse’, the rocking ‘Love Love’, the shining ‘Real Good Time’ (great guitar work), the smoking ‘If You Know, Then You Know’ or the atmospheric ‘Oh’, set the perfect backbone for Sara’s abilities, but also for her talented band to jam.

One of my favorites is their cover of ‘Sledgehammer’, from the Star Trek Beyond motion picture soundtrack. The song was originally written by Sia Furler, Robyn Fenty and Jesse Shatkin and performed by Rhianna, but darn, the Sara Robinson Band completely made it their own.
They give it a killer Rock feel and alternate musical arrangements becoming an almost a completely new song. And rocks.

“If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing” smokes. It’s a wonderful classic rocking album with soaring female vocals and superb riffs & solos.This is not just another exercise of revival: the Sara Robinson Band ‘has it’. The mojo that few groups are able to spark, a conjunction of the right musicians to create a honest, from the heart piece of true classic rock music.
Highly Recommended

1 – Muse
2 – Love Love
3 – Real Good Time
4 – If You Know, Then You Know
5 – Oh
6 – Moon Song
7 – Sledgehammer

Sara Robinson – Lead Vocals
Yod Aquarian Paul – Guitar
PC – Bass
Konstantine Bosch – Drums

BUY IT !
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