The soon to be released Pencarrow is the third solo album of Kāpiti musician Rob Joass following on from Rainlovers (1996) and Black and White.
To celebrate the release on March 8, Rob will embark on an album tour through New Zealand with a side trip to Sydney.
“Accomplished..powerfully beautiful.well focused songslived in voice” – Graham Reid (2014)
With his band Hobnail looking forward to a 25th Anniversary tour and “Best Of” album in 2019, Rob resolved to take things a little easier in 2018, having spent a busy 2017 recording and touring Hobnail’s 7th album, Blue Sky Songs.
So of course he started working on a solo album..
While Rob’s previous album “Black and White” was a deeply personal work that collected a group of songs written around the break up of his marriage, Pencarrow is the work of a songwriter whose life is in a much better place.
Pencarrow contains eight new originals, an acoustic re-working of Best Country Song finalist Baggage and a great version of Paul Kelly’s When I First Met Your Ma, which has long been a staple of Rob’s live set. The album also features members of Rob’s backing band The Small Mercies: Hamish Graham on drums and backing vocals, Alan Norman on keys, Murray Costello on bass, and guests Kim Bonnington on backing vocals and Tony Burt on dobro.
Review for first single Souvenir
“The band has the goods, with layers of sound and brilliant vocals to entertain the masses. Souvenir is catchy with brilliant lyrics and a country music style.
muzic.net.nz – Rating – 4/5″
Rob is well known to many music fans throughout New Zealand through his work with Hobnail, The Shot Band, and Too Many Chiefs. He writes compulsively, tours incessantly, teaches guitar, produces albums, and can be found behind a mixing desk live and in the studio when time allows. His songs have been covered by artists both in NZ and abroad, and he is a three time finalist at the NZ Music Awards.
“This album has reached new heights and illustrates the evolvement of very good musicians who keep getting better,” Phil Taylor “Blue Sky Songs” review.
For More: www.robjoass.hobnail.co.nz
www.facebook.com/RobJoassMusic
The Pencarrow National Album Tour
Tickets via eventfinda