Un-Becoming by J. Robbins
J. Robbins has been the guitarist/singer and primary songwriter (or pushiest collaborator) in several bands since the early ’90s, including Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Channels, and Office of Future Plans. For the bulk of that time, he has also been active as a recording engineer/producer, working with musicians from around the world at his Baltimore-based studio, The Magpie Cage.
J. started performing as a solo artist around 2010, making occasional low-key releases on Bandcamp and contributing to two benefit compilations that were released on Germany’s Arctic Rodeo Records.
Un-Becoming -- which came together in short bursts of activity spread out over the long stretch between 2016 and 2019 -- is his first full-length solo record. On 11 of the LP’s 12 songs, J. is joined by former Burning Airlines drummer Peter Moffett, Brooks Harlan on bass, and Gordon Withers on cello and guitar.
Tracklist
| 1. | Anodyne | 2:49 |
| 2. | Abandoned Mansions | 2:29 |
| 3. | Your Majesty | 3:32 |
| 4. | Our Own Devices | 4:51 |
| 5. | Un-Becoming | 3:22 |
| 6. | Kintsugi | 2:31 |
| 7. | Radical Love | 2:28 |
| 8. | Skeleton Coast | 4:07 |
| 9. | Soldier On | 2:41 |
| 10. | Citizen | 3:42 |
| 11. | Firelight | 2:02 |
| 12. | Stella Vista | 5:18 |
Videos
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
J. Robbins has been the singer/guitarist and principal songwriter in several DC-and-Baltimore-area post-punk rock bands since the late 1980s, most notably Jawbox, Burning Airlines, and Channels. He is also owner and operator of the Magpie Cage recording studio in Baltimore MD.
T-shirts and other J. Robbins-related merch are available at www.shirtkiller.com/jrobbins
Photo by Shane Gardner