RM Hubbert – Recovery EP1 – Review by Killian Laher

Scottish guitarist RM Hubbert recently revealed he has been struggling with chronic depression for the last year. As part of his recovery he has recorded a short EP of covers. Unusually for him, three of the four songs are vocal songs. The first of them, Kathryn Joseph’s The Bird, opens with Hubbert’s characteristically fluid guitar playing as he almost whispers his way through the song, with the faint rumble of electric guitar somewhere in the distance. The bright optimistic guitar licks of Sebadoh’s Freed Pig are transposed perfectly into an accomplished acoustic version, while The Minutemen’s brief instrumental Cohesion is faithfully reproduced.

Perhaps Sparklehorse’s Happy Man is the closest song to the bone. Penned by the late Mark Linkous, Hubbert sings the simple plea “all I want is to be a happy man.” Here’s hoping he will be. It’s available for download from bandcamp here. 

1. The Bird (Kathryn Joseph)
2. The Freed Pig (Sebadoh)
3. Cohesion (Minutemen)
4. Happy Man (Sparklehorse)