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Music Review - 'Weathervane" Rob "Splatt" Appelblatt (dm)
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Rob Splatt Appelbatt - 'Weathervane"
9 September 2019
Rob “Splatt” Appelblatt writes and delivers songs with infectious avidity. Citing Steve Earle’s music and personal instruction as chief among his influences, Appelblatt makes the connection clear, as his songs couple thoughtful lyrics with impassioned music.
The hospitable and effectual Americana sound is present through Chris Cottros forceful strumming of open chords, a more than capable backup band, and Splatt’s fiery vocals and deft harmonica playing. Appelblatt leads listeners through tales of personal growth and transformation, and love and loss, periodically offering a reminder of Dan Baird, if not in the presentation, at least in the energy and enthusiastic testimony.
Like Earle, however, Appelblatt demonstrates that he can write and sing a song of acidic sociopolitical relevance. “Thunder Mountain,” a song about a “bad ass” who enlists in the military only to come home with no legs, offers an intimate alternative to the celebration of militarism too present in American culture. It is a song that, if Bruce Springsteen wrote, the entire country would discuss. One can only hope that Appelblatt receives similar attention.
According to Appelblatt’s biography, he did not begin to concentrate on songwriting until he reached his late forties. The visceral kick of “Thunder Mountain,” the depth of “And Release,” and the charm of “Homeward Bound,” in addition to several other noteworthy compositions, validates the old cliché, “It’s never too late.”
David Masciotra (www.davidmasciotra.com) is the author of four books, including Barack Obama: Invisible Man (Eyewear Publishing, 2017) and Mellencamp: American Troubadour (University Press of Kentucky, 2015).
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