Continuing our theme of top album write ups, we’ve enlisted Senior Music Supervisor, Leroy Henry, who has been at PlayNetwork since 1999 and has spent his entire career in music. His passion for music runs deep going back as far as the 70s where he was a DJ at Seattle’s rock station KZOK. Leroy tells you why Barefoot in the Head is one of his favorite albums of 2017.
Artist: Chris Robinson Brotherhood (The CRB)
Album: Barefoot in the Head
Twitter: @TheCRB
Track: Behold the Seer
“Who the heck is The CRB?” I asked as I unsuspectingly inserted a new CD. The very moment I heard the opening bars, I was struck by the beautiful, open sonic quality and level of musicianship and arrangements. This was the new Chris Robinson album, formerly of the Black Crowes! The album instantly became my favorite of the year and it’s never wavered. And it’s not what you would really expect – it’s not hard rock but instead is an exquisite array of melodic, acoustic-laced, rock songs somewhere between the early Doobies, Widesrpread Panic and The Band. I’m not kidding you – every song is really good and each little masterpiece has a unique flavor in tempo, arrangement, instrumentation and style. What I appreciate so much is the incredible attention to detail in all the musical changes that occur in each piece, always rewarding me with lots of surprises. The production is super clean with tons of space and clarity and Chris Robinson’s voice is silky smooth and smoky, laying atop the wonderful production. This is real gem that just keeps getting better with each play.
