Album Review: Natural Born Actor – Andrew Robertson Is…
Andrew Robertson Is… is the name of the new album by rising artist Natural Born Actor, who – it might not be a big surprise – goes by the name of Andrew Robertson. And Andrew Robertson is... maybe also not surprisingly, as you've already seen how everything is connected in this curious case – a natural born actor. In the literal sense of the word. He is famous for his roles in the 1993 classic The Cement Garden and the 2000 BBC production Gormenghast.
And after becoming famous for playing the roles of others Andrew is about to get famous for playing the role of himself, as portrayed by the songs in Andrew Robertson Is… But who knows – maybe the title is also misleading, as one could expect from a natural born actor – and the music game for Mr Robertson is about playing the role of someone who plays the role of himself (which is often the case with musicians, people hidden behind endless layers that they keep peeling off for careers that span years and decades). Is this is a similar case or does the "mask-off" album title really lead to what it promises? Let's suck it and see together.
And after becoming famous for playing the roles of others Andrew is about to get famous for playing the role of himself, as portrayed by the songs in Andrew Robertson Is… But who knows – maybe the title is also misleading, as one could expect from a natural born actor – and the music game for Mr Robertson is about playing the role of someone who plays the role of himself (which is often the case with musicians, people hidden behind endless layers that they keep peeling off for careers that span years and decades). Is this is a similar case or does the "mask-off" album title really lead to what it promises? Let's suck it and see together.
Andrew Robertson
My stage name, Natural Born Actor, is a slight joke and reflection on my on-pause career as an actor. The guy in the song is saying ‘You don’t want me, I’m a faker, I’m not real, I’m removed from the real thing’.
Masks are off, but the acting continues. And for the first song Andrew gets into the skin of none other than Steve Jobs. The IT evangelist is not explicitly mentioned in the lyrics, so if you hear the song on the radio, it could give you all sorts of ideas on who the philosophic lyrics are about. But we started our friendship with the composition by first reading its title. So now we know: the man who "took a trip on the crystal sea and tried to follow the high life" did it while wearing turtleneck and glasses.
Musically the track reminded us of David Bowie circa Young Americans – thanks to the similarities in the vocal approach of two singers, characteristic horns, groove and overall sound and vibe. Side-note: Steve Jobs was a young American in 1975 when David Bowie dropped his album. The world of Natural Born Actor just keeps surprising you with crazy interconnections!
Fearless continues exploring the sonic possibilties found in the opening track, this time adding bright acidic synths and groovy psychedelic guitars to the mix. In spite of the viscous, dark and heavy character of the arrangement, lyrically the track feels liberating and inspiring.
After the sweaty Fearless, Run Forever brings a welcome moment of rest. Its warm acoustic guitars are soothing, and the vocal delivery is more intimate and heart-touching.
I love when artists decorate their catalogues with tracks named after them. It looks beautiful on paper and on streaming services. It adds an extra dimension for reflection on the nature of things. What are names? If the bird and the egg share the name, does it mean they have much in common? If so, what? Even if these thoughts take place in the subconscious, they can lead to unexpected revelations.
So when Natural Born Actor (a name that's already ambiguous – it's hard to tell if it's disarmingly sincere or beautifully tongue-in-cheek) releases a track called Natural Born Actor, it means he invites us to dig deeper into the nature of things. The soundtrack for this excavation is dangerously groovy. It's also noteworthy for the moments when the vocals are pitched lower. It's quite a subtle effect. You can't help noticing it and then you start wondering: is it really there? This change of tone sounds eerie – it's like the singer is possesed by a demon. But then, when you start second-guessing, you remember that the lyrical character of the album is a natural born actor after all. Maybe this is just good method acting. And even if it's so, my goosebumps brought by this sudden change of tone were real...
Perfect Guy is a beautiful track that wouldn't sound out of place on John Lennon's debut album. Its reverberated piano, wounded vocals and little details (like the marching drums) all blend in perfect harmony.
Vermillion stands out because of its unique wailing guitar tones that are hard to compare with any guitarist in particular, living or dead. Absolute beauty! And also a here's good place to talk about the guitar work on the album. Robertson "cites his guitar heroes as Jimmy Page, Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, Keith Richards, MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger), Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake" (awesome choices, by the way, and not very obvious!) and even goes as far as to say:
Musically the track reminded us of David Bowie circa Young Americans – thanks to the similarities in the vocal approach of two singers, characteristic horns, groove and overall sound and vibe. Side-note: Steve Jobs was a young American in 1975 when David Bowie dropped his album. The world of Natural Born Actor just keeps surprising you with crazy interconnections!
Fearless continues exploring the sonic possibilties found in the opening track, this time adding bright acidic synths and groovy psychedelic guitars to the mix. In spite of the viscous, dark and heavy character of the arrangement, lyrically the track feels liberating and inspiring.
After the sweaty Fearless, Run Forever brings a welcome moment of rest. Its warm acoustic guitars are soothing, and the vocal delivery is more intimate and heart-touching.
I love when artists decorate their catalogues with tracks named after them. It looks beautiful on paper and on streaming services. It adds an extra dimension for reflection on the nature of things. What are names? If the bird and the egg share the name, does it mean they have much in common? If so, what? Even if these thoughts take place in the subconscious, they can lead to unexpected revelations.
So when Natural Born Actor (a name that's already ambiguous – it's hard to tell if it's disarmingly sincere or beautifully tongue-in-cheek) releases a track called Natural Born Actor, it means he invites us to dig deeper into the nature of things. The soundtrack for this excavation is dangerously groovy. It's also noteworthy for the moments when the vocals are pitched lower. It's quite a subtle effect. You can't help noticing it and then you start wondering: is it really there? This change of tone sounds eerie – it's like the singer is possesed by a demon. But then, when you start second-guessing, you remember that the lyrical character of the album is a natural born actor after all. Maybe this is just good method acting. And even if it's so, my goosebumps brought by this sudden change of tone were real...
Perfect Guy is a beautiful track that wouldn't sound out of place on John Lennon's debut album. Its reverberated piano, wounded vocals and little details (like the marching drums) all blend in perfect harmony.
Vermillion stands out because of its unique wailing guitar tones that are hard to compare with any guitarist in particular, living or dead. Absolute beauty! And also a here's good place to talk about the guitar work on the album. Robertson "cites his guitar heroes as Jimmy Page, Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, Keith Richards, MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger), Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake" (awesome choices, by the way, and not very obvious!) and even goes as far as to say:
Andrew Robertson
This is very much a guitarist’s album.
This is very true. The guitar work here is precise. It's lustrious (sorry for the rare word, it just somehow came down on me when I was thinking about Andrew's guitar). It's inventive. And all of this wasn't evident for me until I listened to the album for the second time. It's because the guitars, imaginative as they are, never stand in the way of the songs and – what's also important for this particular record – in the way of Natural Born Actor's persona. Which totally gets my admiration and respect, especially considering the brilliance of Andrew's guitar playing.
Black Dragon that comes next is not a song. It's a living and breathing black dragon. It crawls, clanking its scales, coiling its tail and generally giving you black love "like a heart attack". I say so because the music feels like that, with the synths bubbling and pulsating and the drums stomping, creating an almost tangible image of a monstrous snake. Don't turn the track on if you're not equipped with a sword and shield!
Or you might, if you have a Decadent Heart. Even dragons fear that. The production on the song that bears this name is... well, muscular. It can take a punch (is it weird to talk about production like that?). I especially loved the quiet guitar part that's bubbling underneath the main rhythm guitar in the verses.
Wings features some really cool synth tones and carries a relaxed mood, hinting on reggae, but never sounding too much like it. It takes a skeleton from a reggae track and then grows its own meat on the sun-laden bones. And then it grows something bigger. Wings. "You got wings, fly away." I will.
The album is big on colours. We had Vermillion. We had Black Dragon. And now we have Black Water, arguably the most melodically catchy song on the entire record. It's a natural singalong, really, a stadium-sized one. It's uplifting, effortless and beautifully aggressive, like some of the best gospel music. And the guitar solo here is pure fire!
Overall, Andrew Robertson Is… is a deep and rewarding record, full of details, especially in the guitar domain, all of them added with love and calling for multiple relistens. Lyrically it's ambiguous enough to feel liberatingly universal, even when you suspect real-life drama behind some of the lyrical details. And, what's even more valuable in my book, the album has a light touch and a subtle and elusive sense humour in its production and overall vibe, which makes it even more enjoyable, without downplaying its dramatic effect and the deepness and seriousness of its message.
Black Dragon that comes next is not a song. It's a living and breathing black dragon. It crawls, clanking its scales, coiling its tail and generally giving you black love "like a heart attack". I say so because the music feels like that, with the synths bubbling and pulsating and the drums stomping, creating an almost tangible image of a monstrous snake. Don't turn the track on if you're not equipped with a sword and shield!
Or you might, if you have a Decadent Heart. Even dragons fear that. The production on the song that bears this name is... well, muscular. It can take a punch (is it weird to talk about production like that?). I especially loved the quiet guitar part that's bubbling underneath the main rhythm guitar in the verses.
Wings features some really cool synth tones and carries a relaxed mood, hinting on reggae, but never sounding too much like it. It takes a skeleton from a reggae track and then grows its own meat on the sun-laden bones. And then it grows something bigger. Wings. "You got wings, fly away." I will.
The album is big on colours. We had Vermillion. We had Black Dragon. And now we have Black Water, arguably the most melodically catchy song on the entire record. It's a natural singalong, really, a stadium-sized one. It's uplifting, effortless and beautifully aggressive, like some of the best gospel music. And the guitar solo here is pure fire!
Overall, Andrew Robertson Is… is a deep and rewarding record, full of details, especially in the guitar domain, all of them added with love and calling for multiple relistens. Lyrically it's ambiguous enough to feel liberatingly universal, even when you suspect real-life drama behind some of the lyrical details. And, what's even more valuable in my book, the album has a light touch and a subtle and elusive sense humour in its production and overall vibe, which makes it even more enjoyable, without downplaying its dramatic effect and the deepness and seriousness of its message.