Photo Credit: Dwayne Liburd.
Review By: Lisa Occhino
When I went to watch Scottish singer/songwriter and Berklee grad Robert Gillies perform an acoustic set with Ben Marino at Café 939, I was delighted to discover that he truly has a gift for songwriting in the folk/pop genre. Robert has a knack for combining simple pop progressions with intriguing and comedic lyrics about zombies, astronauts, and love that really draw the listener in. He plays rhythms on his guitar that keep your foot involuntarily tapping, and sings melodies that are both catchy and pleasant to the ears. Although a few of his songs felt a little on the short side and left me wanting more, they were packed with folky-pop goodness from beginning to end.
One of my favorite songs was “Vegan Zombies,” which he played in the spirit of Halloween. His vocal flow and rhythmic guitar reminded me a lot of Jason Mraz, although I don’t believe Jason has ever written about vegans or zombies.
Photo Credit: Anne Armacost.
I also really enjoyed how Robert kept the evening light-hearted by inputting little comedic bits and anecdotes in between his songs. He was able to quickly build a rapport with his audience simply by being himself on stage and not holding anything back. Although his openness and humor also exist in his music, you can see his seriousness about his craft emerge when he starts playing. You believe his words when he sings.
The way Robert dealt with the obstacles of being an independent artist was both clever and entertaining. For instance, he had a volunteer hold up the lyrics to the chorus of one of his new songs so we could all sing along (see photo to the left). It’s quirky little things like this that make certain artists stand out over others when they perform. Robert’s naturally charming and humorous personality is reflected in his songwriting, both of which make me want to go see him perform again.
For everything Robert Gillies, check out www.robertgillies.com.
