Long Gone

It’s a beautiful sunny day outside and I am sitting here at my computer listening to Andy Robbins new single “Long Gone”, all that is missing is a glass of single malt whiskey and perhaps a cigar to make the day perfect.

It’s been some time since we heard a new release from Andy and as always, it’s a pleasure to hear his music, and Long Gone is the perfect mix of Beatle-esque lyrics with a touch of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Boxer thrown in for good measure, accompanied by an upbeat melodic backing of guitar and piano.

I don’t like to compare artists when I review their work as I feel you cannot compare originality, especially with someone who is as original as Andy, however, it is quite obvious where his influences come from if one listens closely and I would say his roots are planted quite firmly in the past while bringing a modern pop feel to his music.

The opening bars of the song immediately grasp the listener like a pair of outstretched hands caressing your ears. Andy’s vocal never ceases to entertain and as always, he carries the melody of the song perfectly in tune and with professionalism, giving a great performance that you just want to keep coming back to.

Although the song is about a relationship breakup, it’s also about the feeling of knowing that a relationship isn’t going to work out and the acceptance involved in that process, it gives us a peek into Andy’s personal life and the heartache endured at the end of the relationship.

Andy began work on the song while waiting for his (then) gf to turn up to a gig he was performing. He was testing his looper pedal and the riff just came to him, he recorded a few seconds of it on his loop pedal and felt there was something there.

While on holiday in Galway, Ireland, Andy wrote the lyrics and, on his return, put them to the music, without doubt they fitted perfectly as though the song was meant to be written. There is more to the story, but I will let the listener discover that for themselves.

The arrangement of the song is well executed with Andy’s jangly rhythm playing, which is almost reminiscent of a mandolin, despite it being played on a guitar, and a beautiful accompaniment by the piano, giving the song a very summery feel despite its melancholic story and I found that even after the first listen the melody stuck in my head.

An earworm that isn’t unpleasant, in fact as with many of Andy’s earlier releases I wanted to listen to the song over and over again. Once more Andy Robbins gives us an insight into his soul while delivering an excellent performance of the song.

Proving as usual that his talents know no bounds, his voice has gone from strength to strength as he has progressed through the years and the tightness of his performance is faultless.

Long Gone is the first single release from Andy's upcoming EP "Resist" which is available to stream everywhere on Friday 28th July.