Circle Sound/Thirty Tigers

On his second solo album, Rich Robinson doesn’t drift too far from the earthy psychedelic blues that his band The Black Crowes helped bring back into fashion. Although it’s a bit softer around the edges and lacking some of the lyrical and vocal bite of the Crowes, there are plenty of moments where the instrumental sections propel these songs into memorable terrain, thanks to Steve Molitz (Phil & Friends, Particle) anchoring the keys and guest work from Warren Haynes, Larry Campbell and John Medeski. While Robinson’s lyrics are a little thin, his inner struggles are easy to relate to as he simply proclaims, “I don’t feel good today” on “Standing on the Surface of the Sun.” However, it’s the triumphant guitar solo that fuels the song and the album.