I always live in hope that a local band is going to knock me off my socks, but it usually takes two minutes to see why they aren't going to make it to the big times.
Not so Robotic Horse Mechanical Sun (RHMS).
The group launched its CD at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek last Friday night, coming out of the gate with "Shine in the Rain," a richly textured, upbeat catchy tune that immediately pulled everyone in.
RHMS is comprised of Brent Fitzsimmons, Jeff Doran, Jamie Swann, Andrew Bate and Jason Lambing, each extremely talented multi-instrumentalists and superlative vocalists. RHMS has come together to create a genre that defies labelling. With their diverse backgrounds, deep harmonies and songs that include banjo and big bass, they are at home at any folk or country music venue, they appeal to the hipster crowd, and with some reggae undertones could easily open for Michael Franti and wow that audience as well.
"Jennifer Aniston" tells a tale of the star's love life and its overriding importance in the scheme of world events, and had us laughing so hard tears came to our eyes.
Their version of Springsteen's "Ghost of Tom Joad" was a country-styled delight. By the time the evening had come to an end, was not one person in the house who wasn't raising their glass and singing along with "One More for the Road."
One Vancouverite in attendance was overheard commenting, "I can totally picture these guys performing at the Grammys."
They are already putting in the hard work and discipline necessary to succeed in this tough business, with a little luck and getting under the right person's nose, Robotic Horse Mechanical Sun is destined to go a long way.
See more about them at robotichorsemechanical sun.ca.
- Submitted
