Rich Webb - Le Rayon Vert (2018)

The fact that Rich Webb is from Down Under Australia or has recorded his new fifth studio album ‘Le Rayon Vert’ in the beautiful Loire Valley is from the very beginning an additional fun fact, as Rich Webb’s incomparable voice is the true driving force of the eleven songs of the new set (SOUL TRAIN reported).

Stylistically anchored somewhere between Rock, Blues, Folk, Country & Western, Singer/Songwriter and the ideals of Rock’n’Roll, Cajun, Honky Tonk and Tex Mex and even approaching Exotica, Rich Webb and veteran Howard Bargroff have produced everything properly and let Webb’s voice take the most emotional role – alone his earthy, scratchy timbre would be enough to fill a dozen albums.

Also, that the album was recorded, among other things, in Germany, quite rightly does not change the bustling, diverse and earthy habit of “Le Rayon Vert”, of its author, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer Rich Webb.

Again and again Webb surprises with song formations beyond the well-worn rock’n’roll paths such as the instrumental rockabilly and surf number ‘The So Called Earl () Palmer’, giving the album an unpredictable, immensely sympathetic emphasis – but at the same time anything but intrusive, but quite sufficient, to convince even the biggest rock dedicatist.

An emphatic artwork including the lyrics in the included booklet (CD) gives “Le Rayon Vert’ the finishing touch, and of course it’s also available on appropriately cool vinyl. Any justification to score this album with should be taken. It’s a nice thing you can listen to, and, in spite of all the variety, strikingly uncomplicated.