Upon hearing Bobby Lee, the first impression of many is disbelief that he’s from Sheffield, England. On his cassette release Shakedown in Slabtown, one Bandcamp fan comments, “I refuse to believe Bobby Lee is English: he sounds like a reincarnated early ’70s Kosmische Kurier enjoying a West Texas vacation.” That release, along with Bobby Lee, flew pretty much under my radar until Josh Rosenthal at Tompkins Square released his excellent Origin Myths in March 2021. The album was reviewed by Jay Alm, an acoustic alternative songwriter based in the mountains of Wyoming, who was keen to share the experience he had listening to this “Deep-fried galactic grandeur”.
This is music meant for altered states and slipping in and out of lucidity and fevers. Like a serpent swallowing its own tail, no tracks truly stand out, just a hot afternoon spiral perpetually throating itself.
Although he also felt Lee’s origins were far more mythical…With this album, there is no way Bobby Lee is from the U.K. It’s clear to me he’s from the American Southwest resurrected as an Anasazi shaman.
The good news is that Bobby Lee is back with Endless Skyways (pre-order it here – plus album launch show on 25th June – See below), his third full album and second release on Tompkins Square, the title borrowed from a line in Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land, one of the cornerstones of American music. As the press says – That song’s mix of the terrestrial (“ribbons of highway”) and celestial consciousness encapsulates Lee’s brand of widescreen cosmic Americana, a duality also evident in the album’s split between deep-fried rural rock and ambient country. Dusty boots, but third eye open.
Leading the path to release on June 23rd, and yes, there is vinyl and cassette release (LP: TSQ 5937 / CS: TSQ 5944), is ‘Acid Grassland’ – woozy swamp rock as an ancient drum machine moseys along with a loping groove and riff straight outta Cosmo’s Factory.
In the words of Creedence Clearwater Revival…Keep On Chooglin.
Acid Grassland is also my Tune of the Day.
Pre-Order Endless Skyways via Bandcamp
Another Folk Radio favourite, Buck Curran, is playing a joint-headliner with Bobby Lee on Sunday, 28th May – Northern Quarter, Huddersfield, HD1 1DU.
Tickets and details here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northernquarter/919875?
Album Launch Show
Sunday, 25th June – Tesla Studios, Sheffield – Tickets & Details
