'Sweet Home Quarantine' online show on StageIt.com.
No Emma Swift at this show as she was in Australia on tour.

Review by Adrienne Meddock from Zub Records
Robyn Hitchcock appears in one of his trademark patterned button up shirts, this one resembling a floral couch pattern in the most magnificent way imaginable. First up is ‘Sinister But She Was Happy.’

We then get a folksy-quirky version of ‘Statue with a Walkman.’ Robyn’s higher range is right on target and subtle. We get a great spoken word break in a Dylanesque accent lending the perfect level of goofiness.

Dissonance on ‘DeChirico Street’ offers the right note of Hitchcockian dismalia, enough to keep it off-kilter while it still chugs along poppily. That’s the magic RH balance in essence--a real groove with enough imbalance to make sure we know who we are listening to.

“The Nixons” are starting -- a little sweat in Studio C. Andy is doing production and Emma is in Oz, newly out of quarantine. RH brings out the harmonica for ‘Bob Dylan’s Dream,’ the Martin Carthy connection explained. This is a straggler tune from last week’s Dylan’s birthday celebration. No Folds seem to be traumatized by the harmonica break. My own cat decides that it is a good time to sneak out of the room for the feline equivalent of a smoke break, away from the cat-taunter harp sound.

Tubby the cat checked in when the harmonica stopped and settled in on RH’s feet while he played a song inspired by the Python song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,’ ‘The Man Who Invented Himself.’ The harmonica silence also convinces my cat it is safe to return to the room. Emma tips Tubby on StageIt from Australia!

“Raymond and the Wires’ is next, a song about both trolley buses and RH’s late father. The song is an aching remembrance and clear-eyed reckoning of the past, not cheap nostalgia. It just wrecks me.

Next up is a request for Donovan. RH kicks it off with a hopeful “let’s see what this sounds like!” ‘Sunshine Superman’ calls on both RH’s lower and mid ranges. Tubby gets a shout-out incorporated into the silly 60’s lyrics. As he wipes the sweat, RH remarks, “NIxon’s the one--it’s a lie he was a ghastly person and the people that followed him worse.” I am hollering “AMEN” at home, having volunteered on the McGovern campaign in 1972 to defeat Nixon. Alas, a 10-year-old’s passion only resulted in 7 votes for George in my county.

‘Upgrade Me,’ a pandemic era new song, follows. Tubby gets featured in a verse. The lyrics are clever and it is a worthy entrant into the RH canon. Great images. It has been recorded for the upcoming album.

Of ‘When I Was Dead’ Emma tells us in the comments, “Fun Fact: editing this song for the lyrics book was a massive pain in the arse.” I hope the lyric book will hit my doorstep soon! I am excited to have this Tiny Ghost Press debut in my hands!

RH urges us to “turn on the phantom Emma Swift apps” for harmony on the next song, one he loves to sing with her. ‘Heaven’ gets a very lovely vocal from Robyn without said app, with some delicate guitar picking punctuated with a downright drone on the chorus. RH comments “Funny how accurate your dreams can be” as he always wanted to do this--sing for us so immediately, I suppose. We’re for it too.

While introducing ‘Light Blue Afternoon’ Robyn tells us how much his relationship with his mother has improved since her passing. So many of us give up trying at that point, it is good to hear there is always room for improvement.

A bit of ‘I Often Dream of Trains’ wraps up tonight’s SHQ.

--Adrienne Meddock, Please consider supporting Senator McGovern in ‘72!