ROBERT PLANT – ‘Carry Fire’ (2017)

Only quite a few remain of the giants of rock in past tense, who over the years made no bullshit and did not lag forever in the golden years of their own music. The biggest of them is undoubtedly Robert Plant. Turned his back to the rumble of the gods Led Zeppelin long ago, he digs deeper and deeper into the roots of music that inspired the former British titans.

With the tranquility and the erudition inherent to his gray curls and the carved wrinkles on his face. From the deep adult rock with alternative and folk winks in “Fate of Nations” through deep and dense melancholy of “Dreamland” or heavy blues trip-hop / world melodies in “Mighty ReArranger” to folk, world, electro, even country influences cleverly and homogeneously mixed in his next albums, Robert Plant consistently makes one thing – brilliant and emotional music.

 

“Carry Fire” is the very natural sequel, but also addition and upgrade to “Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar”. The songs are soft, deep, almost sad. And once again, next to Plant stay the Sensational Space Shifters (actually, almost the same band as Strange Sensation) – people, who have left their mark in the live music for bands like Portishead, Massive Attack and Radiohead.

 

So the songs on the album are a magnificent amalgam of blues, gospel, folk, Middle East influences and a long away echo from Led Zeppelin‘s thunder. In fact, just that cirelation – between new and old – a modern look at the roots, makes the songs sound so attractive and enchanting.

 

A strong example of this is “Bluebirds Over the Mountain,” a song recorded 60 years ago by Ersel Hickey and 50 years ago by The Beach Boys, today sounds very vibrant and beyond time. A feeling that Robert Plant seems to hold the talent to embody in the songs he records in his latest albums. And as it seems, this man and artist doesn’t stop to develop, build up and grow, becoming ever more wise. A true God – one of the last standing.