This Magnificent Distance

Full performer name: Chris Robinson & The New Earth Mud.
Chris Robinson & The New Earth Mud: Chris Robinson (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Paul Stacey (guitar); George Laks (keyboards); George Reiff (bass instrument); Jeremy Stacey (drums, percussion).
Additional personnel: Audley Freed (guitar); Richard Causon (keyboards); Ethan Johns (drums).
Recording information: Groovemasters, Santa Monica, California; 4th Street Recording, Santa Monica, California; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California.
Although former Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson strayed away from the harder-edged nuances of his previous gig with his debut solo album, NEW EARTH MUD, his sophomore outing, THIS MAGNIFICENT DISTANCE, finds him plugging in and rocking out. Paul Stacey returns from the first record and is joined by Robinson's guitar-wielding former Crowes bandmate Audley Freed. Robinson fans yearning for the more upbeat side of the Georgia native's musical side won't be disappointed. From the churning "40 Days," with its mix of choppy riffing and prominent organ lines, to the thunderous stomp of "Sea of Love," heads will be bobbing and toes will be tapping throughout.
Keyboardists George Laks and Richard Causon fill in well for Crowes ivory-tickler Eddie Harsch, providing a sweeping style that fits in perfectly with the Western themes of bank robbers and big-sky imagery dotting "Train Robbers" and "Like a Tumbleweed in Eden." Robinson's greatest inspiration stems from his new home on the West Coast, and this comes across beautifully on "If You See California," a gorgeous love letter to the Golden State basted in a righteous mix of piano, acoustic guitar, and soulful phrasing.