Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
To forgive, perhaps the greatest act someone can bestow upon another human being, arguably the noblest that can be seen to be offered between two people without the sentimentality of going to bed passing between them and yet so few in the modern age can find the courage to throw themselves upon the mercy of another soul or indeed to take the hand of another and with the solemnity of a once regal act of attrition, tell them that they are Forgiven.
To offer forgiveness, to be Forgiven is something that in the 21st Century takes an exceptional person to do, now forgiveness comes with a price, the lure of easy pickings, of remuneration exchanged before the side swipe of callous, gritted teeth of letting life just be one in which we move on.
To be Forgiven when you have done nothing wrong, when you have caused no harm and only offered enlightenment, that is the real test of acidity and it is one that David James Robertson offers without the spoil of war, without rancour or forethought of venom pumping in his veins, in fact the album is a journey into the composed, the plain speaking honesty of the peaceful and the faint edge of a homage to the likes of Glen Frey and Don Henley, the unflustered but full of meaning, it is the wandering spirit at ease under the blanket of Heaven.
Aiding David James Robertson in offering this act of reverence, of songs that offer a kind of fulfilment and contented pleasure, is the formidable talent of Sam Martin, Andy Collins, Scott Poley, Alan Roberts, Jay Whittaker, Ian Martin, Mike Cave and Rocco and because of this immersive group of generous musicians giving so much joy in their chosen and anointed responsibilities, tracks such as In My Dreams, Love Don’t String Me On, the fabulous Rome is Changing and the excellent vision that resides in Derby Square, that fulfilment is very easily observed and heard.
Forgiveness can be beautiful, it can act as a stepping stone to greater achievements; to be Forgiven is to be exonerated of blame and to be seen as offering a kind of mutual truth and appreciated awareness, it is an accepting sympathy that David James Robertson stands shoulder to shoulder with.
Ian D. Hall