Battling with the fear of getting too excited.
Chris Robeson is from Texas. A songwriter based in Austin, Robeson has written over 1,000 songs and has a stash of unreleased albums. “Euphoriphobia” may not be in the dictionary yet, but there is undoubtedly a sense in this collection that Robeson does not want to get overly euphoric just yet. That isn’t to say there are no uplifting moments, but be prepared to enter the dark side for a while.
Robeson’s style has been likened to John Prine, Roger Miller, Tom Waits, and Townes Van Zandt. However, the playlist has plenty of freshness and originality to show his unique style, especially in the intricate wordplay. The album opens with the Asian-Western song ‘Built to Fall Apart”. Robeson sings, “Holdin’ out my hand / And leanin’ onto love instead of learnin’ to stand”, setting the tone for what is to come. The simple harmonica and the Chinese Erhu (violin) work well together. ‘Home In The Rain’ is a biography of Robeson’s life during Covid. Five of his friends committed suicide, which is unimaginable. The lilting laid-back feel defies the subject matter, and the line “I’m wearin’ the smile of a clown, that’s startin’ to crack” hits home.
That isn’t to say that the collection leaves you sad and hopeless. It has a strangely optimistic feel, and undoubtedly many will realise that they are not the only ones feeling like Robeson or dealing with the subjects in the songs. ‘Held You’ is a staggering piece of writing. It is about one of those relationships you know will never go the distance, but as Robeson sings, “At least I held you for a while.” Robeson wrote this song following his breakup with Lexi Kiddo, and it is a bittersweet goodbye.
The title of the album reverberates throughout the collection. ‘Right Back Down’ laments that feeling you get when things are too good to be true, and everything will return to how it was at any moment. ‘Everything Goes’ could be straight out of a Tom Waits album. In particular, it will bring to mind his debut, “Closing Time”. ‘Take Me Too’ is a song of heartbreaking loss, and Gabriel Rhodes, who co-wrote with Robeson on much of the album, plays the minor-key piano beautifully. Robeson wrote this for a friend whose high school sweetheart and wife of 50 years died suddenly. Robeson’s friend is now doing better, but initially, a sense of loss can be overwhelming.
The final track, ‘I’m Comin’ Home (If You’d Let Me)’ ends the record with the most personal song on the album. It is about Robeson’s Uncle Mark, who was a Stage IV cancer survivor living in Canyon Lake, Texas, and a supporter of Robeson and his dreams throughout his life. He always wanted to write a song with Robeson even though, in his own words, he “couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” The pain Robeson’s Uncle lived with became too much, and he took his own life. As a religious man, the conflicting feelings were overwhelming. It completes the album in a sad but perfect way.
Robeson has so much going on throughout this collection that it is challenging to listen to at times. The musicianship is excellent, and production-wise, along with Gabriel Rhodes, they have done a solid job. “Euphoriphobia” is a cathartic album that is well worth a listen.
