So, onwards and upwards to the second solo release - “Sparrow & Swan” - from Australian singer songwriter Rob Snarski and, within the bookends of this album, this troubadour spins us yet more story songs to entertain and perhaps even enchant.
This is an album of story songs and it is also an album of rose tinted sentimentality. I would even go so far as to say that this is unusual given the cold wind that blows through our times with Rob Snarski also purporting to have no particular agenda for his musical musings. His words and melodies therefore seem resolutely pure in their intent and, even if he sometimes seems to have more words than sentences that can hold them, his literacy allows him to clearly express what is in his heart and soul in a manner that will make you believe it all.
The songs are, for the most part, mid-paced and melodic with the hypnotic “All God’s Creatures” and the inspirational “Chasing Van” standing out from what is a notably strong set. Such consistency is, of course, the mark of the true troubadour.
“Sparrow & Swan” is undoubtedly a soundtrack for reflection and it is also one that does not seek to impress on first encounter. However, Rob Snarski’s unforced literacy and undeniable romanticism make this album entrancing to those of us who seek a teller of tales about the sunnier side of today.