Album Review: Robert Glen & The Inversion

Wanaka-based Robert Glen and his band The Inversion have made a record that sounds like it was made by people who miss the 1970’s guitar heroes and decided to do something about it. Clearly inspired by British hard rock from the 1970’s through the 90’s, the album wears that heritage proudly, and it is all the better for it.

The guitar playing is the star. It is very accomplished, with a fluid, bluesy attack that nods to Rory Gallagher as a homage to the 1970’s greats without ever becoming a copy. Music in this style hasn’t been heard for a long time, and it is a genuine pleasure to hear it played with this much skill, feeling and restraint.

The vocals match the guitars: growling, raw and full of grit. Where the album really shows its range is in its turn towards romantic 1980’s-style rock. Break The Walls is an emotional, gritty ballad in the vein of Foreigner, with big melodic hooks and a heart-on-sleeve delivery that lands every time. Here For Love heads in another direction, its muscular vocal sitting somewhere between Nickelback and Stiltskin, modern and punchy without losing the album’s old-school spine.

A Celtic thread runs through several tracks too, courtesy of a violin that adds a sweeping, folk-tinged lift. It recalls the anthemic side of Simple Minds and the Celtic-flavoured rock of Stiltskin, and it gives the record a texture that sets it apart from a straightforward throwback. The violin never feels like a gimmick; it sits comfortably alongside the crunching riffs and soaring solos, widening the palette without diluting the power.

Robert Glen and The Inversion wear their influences openly but play them with real conviction. Nothing here feels like pastiche for its own sake; the songs are well built, the performances are committed, and love for the genre is audible in every bar. In an age of polished, programmed music, there is something truly refreshing about a band that plugs in and plays with this much heart. Anyone who misses the days when rock guitar was the main event will find plenty to love.