Reserving a place on the ‘A’ team of new music

This week: Playing for the Reserves, by Bobby Roche

ONE of the fantastic things about Ireland from a musical perspective is the vast range of acts the country produces, giving the world a wide array of new original songs.

From hard rock, metal, country and blues to singer-songwriter, hip-hop and dance there are Irish artists putting out top quality releases each year regardless of whether or not they are household names.

Bobby Roche is one such artist. Based in Naas, Co Kildare, his particular brand of songwriting is exemplified to perfection on the album, ‘Playing for the Reserves’.

It’s a collection of songs that perfectly illustrates the wide range of stylistic influences that Roche embraces as a songwriter.

‘Don’t Blame The River’ gets the album started and it’s a fully fledged country blues workout that boasts a wonderfully commercial chorus.

There is lovely Hammond type organ accompaniment to the main guitar riff and the music underpins the overall vocal melody to perfection.

This is one of those tracks that catches the listener’s attention right from the off.

The lead break is a fabulous piece of slide-guitar and the it’s easy to visualise some dusty backroad trail in Alabama or Mississippi while listening to the song.

‘I Don’t Think Your Boy’s Gonna Show’ takes things off on a slightly different path, albeit still paying due respect to the blues.

However, it has a distinct Billy Joel flavour that is fantastic to hear.

Featuring mostly piano accompaniment there is a wonderful country style, lap steel guitar break halfway through that adds to the melancholic feel of the track.

What’s obvious about Roche’s songwriting style is that he is a storyteller at heart.

Lyrically, his songs all tell a tale and in this case it’s that of an outside observer looking on as someone he has a shine for is stood up.

A gentle ballad, it’s also a very powerful song in sentiment.

‘ Theresa’s Bar’, is another melancholic tale based around the memory of a event that took place in a bar forever etched in the mind of the writer.

The intro section of the track has a similar feel to Status Quo’s, ‘Someone Show Me Home’, from the ‘If You Can’t Stand the Heat’ album - albeit the intro is set to a slower tempo.

An accordion sound also gives the song a slight French feel.

‘In That Strange Beyond’ is a mid-tempo country rock track that sits comfortably in the territory usually reserved for the likes of the Eagles, Gram Parsons or the Byrds.

The harmony vocals are exemplary and add greatly to the commercial appeal of the song.

One of the most intriguing and interesting aspects of the album is the diversity of the songs,

Where ‘In That Strange Land’ is a country rock track, it’s followed by a lovely singer-songwriter ballad in the form of ‘Stick Together’.

As this listener is hearing the track it’s a lovely summer evening with the sun shining in a clear blue sky and the track suits the scene perfectly.

‘Heads They Win, Tails We Lose’, is another track led by a piano motif.

It’s a great number where Roche showcases his songwriting ability in fine fashion.

There are subtle tricks he uses in executing the vocal melody that make the track very interesting.

On the chorus he hits a number of different notes on certain words this adds a great twist.

‘ The People Have Spoken’ has a fantastic descending bass line and the piano accompaniment, on what is a gentle, jazzy ballad, is perfect.

A number of things in general stand out on the album, such as slide guitar, intricate guitar lines and gentle piano patterns.

The latter aspect being particularly prominent on ‘ Your Mama Can’ which continues the jazzy, bluesy swagger of the preceding track.

‘ The Quarry’ is a singer-songwriter tale of blue-collar honesty where gentle slide guitar patterns underpin the vocal melody.

The album’s title track, ‘Playing for the Reserves’, sums up everything that is positive about Roche’s songwriting techniques.

It also has all of the components contained in the other tracks rolled into one: piano, electric guitar, strong vocals and a catchy melody.

‘ The Hope a New Day Brings’, is the final track on the album.

In a way it brings things full circle as it takes things back into the vibe of swampy, down south blues created by the opening track.

The cover of the album is slightly misleading in that it shows Roche sat beside a red Telecaster whereas if anything piano is one of the dominant instruments on the album.

However, Roche is an all-rounder and though he might be playing for the reserves, in terms of songwriting Bobby Roche is on the ‘A’ team.