Emily Robb – If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection LP (Petty Bunco)

Second full-length of electric guitar instrumentals from Philadelphia’s Emily Robb. Her previous effort, 2021’s How to Moonwalk, showcased a primitive and scorching penchant for motor-psycho guitar pyrotechnics, and this one traverses similar paths, if a bit more introspective and bluesy. Akin to that Edsel Axle album that Rosali just made, a bit more defined than her colleagues like Bill Nace, this is a bloozier jaunt overall, still single-minded in its attack and approach, but a little more thoughtful all around. Sounds like she’s going at the strings with a violin bow (a la Eddie Phillips of The Creation) on “Slowing Singing Shaving Bathing,” and where the first record tacked towards early Spacemen 3, some of this one (like opener "Hermit's Cave") goes to the later end of their run, towards Spiritualized’s early bliss out tracks. But mostly this stays in a scuzzed out ramble, energetic but contemplatively looking at the horizon. This one’s a tone monster too, and the ever so slightly more conventional styles on this fit that framework perfectly. Sometimes a close shave is better than a facemelt, especially when you have to see people out in meatspace. Oh, Emily (and Richie) are performing Saturday October 27th at Tone Deaf Records in Chicago at 7pm, and you should attend. (Doug Mosurock)

Emily Robb – If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection LP (Petty Bunco)

Second full-length of electric guitar instrumentals from Philadelphia’s Emily Robb. Her previous effort, 2021’s How to Moonwalk, showcased a primitive and scorching penchant for motor-psycho guitar pyrotechnics, and this one traverses similar paths, if a bit more introspective and bluesy. Akin to that Edsel Axle album that Rosali just made, a bit more defined than her colleagues like Bill Nace, this is a bloozier jaunt overall, still single-minded in its attack and approach, but a little more thoughtful all around. Sounds like she’s going at the strings with a violin bow (a la Eddie Phillips of The Creation) on “Slowing Singing Shaving Bathing,” and where the first record tacked towards early Spacemen 3, some of this one (like opener "Hermit's Cave") goes to the later end of their run, towards Spiritualized’s early bliss out tracks. But mostly this stays in a scuzzed out ramble, energetic but contemplatively looking at the horizon. This one’s a tone monster too, and the ever so slightly more conventional styles on this fit that framework perfectly. Sometimes a close shave is better than a facemelt, especially when you have to see people out in meatspace. Oh, Emily (and Richie) are performing Saturday October 27th at Tone Deaf Records in Chicago at 7pm, and you should attend. (Doug Mosurock)

Emily Robb - If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection

Philly guitarist Emily Robb is back with another slab of unearthly (but also quite earthy somehow) six-string workouts. Robb's sometime tourmate Rosali Middleman recently released a great collection of electric guitar instrumentals under the Edsel Axle moniker and If I Am Misery is a perfect chaser. The pieces here take great pleasure in the simple essentials — pure volume, amp buzz, feedback, raw melodies. Robb is a master at coaxing unusual sounds from her axe, always going in unexpected directions, but still remaining deeply rooted to the source. While this is a solo album, it definitely rocks — like a VU bootleg or a vintage PSF LP. Don't forget to boogie.