L.A.-based, In-demand Sideman, Writer and Producer Rob Laufer Delivers Sublime Power Pop & Folk Via “The Floating World” (ALBUM REVIEW)

Rob Laufer, L.A.-based sideman, producer and songwriter-for-hire, as well as being the musical director of the renowned Wild Honey Orchestra is stepping forth with his first album, The Floating World, in nine years. Laufer could just as easily point to his busy schedule but also claims the hiatus is also due to a mental block of sorts, being unable to finish songs. Two events began to steer him back in the right direction. One was the serendipity of Bon Iver’s debut album popping up on his iPod shuffle at a quiet time when he could just take in the beauty of the music. The other was the death of Tom Petty as Laufer dug in and began to appreciate the tidiness and economy of Petty’s songs. He was rejuvenated.

The result is highly melodic, lush music that ranges from pop to power folk and soft, bouncy rock n’ roll, much of it Beatlesque (more on that later). Many songs touch on romance and relationships but they are not narratives, just well strung together thoughts., some in a tongue-in-cheek style. Laufer eases gently into the album with the opening “Avalanche.” He continues to easily float in with the singalong exercise in clever wordplay on “Highway Machine,” about which a man rides into an uncertain future with the radio to sing with and perhaps a riding companion via the line “All we’ve got is each other and the radio.” “Bolt of Blue, “ the third song in, ignites a driving tempo, fueled by swirling organ.

Originally Laufer planned to record with other musicians but was so pleased with the demos in his home studio that he kept going alone. He eventually enlisted minimal support from a few contributors whom he cites in the liners. He also cites the percussion sound of mid-period Cat Stevens, the unique folk approach of Donovan, and the blend of country and rock on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, which clearly echoes through the sounds and structure of the title track, as factoring into the album’s warm sound.

One of Laufer’s favorites is “Space and Time,” a song that’s not about physics but according to Laufer, “good old space-and-time, like the night sky and the hands-on my clock,” providing us the means to connect with one another. He uses water imagery and abstract lyrics in both “This River’ and “The Holding Sea,” both of which fall into the lush pop category. The punch “As Long As You Belong” matches defiant lyrics with infectious hooks and power chords. He ends with the darkly comic, in the mode of Wilburys-folk-rock “Hippie Love,” in which he satirically views teen lovers while retaining a level of empathy too.

So, here’s that Beatlesque reference we promised to expound upon. Laufer is tied to them in many ways. His first major gig was portraying George Harrison in the stage musical Beatlemania! In 1999. Sir George Martin asked him to sing “A Day in the Life” at a Hollywood Bowl Beatles tribute. He also played a key part in Cheap Trick’s 2007 Sgt. Pepper at 40 concert at the Hollywood Bowl and in Las Vegas. Laufer returned to the Bowl in 2010 to sing “Something” and “Across the Universe” in a Beatles Celebration. A couple of years later came the three Wild Honey Beatles tributes, which have only added to Laufer’s Beatles creds.

Yes, Laufer brings the best of that endearing Beatles pop sound to this album, The Floating World, in a dreamy, memorable way.

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