With 2007's "Green Room" Robbie Tucker continues to grow as an artist while preserving his roots; both musical and personal. His passion for his touchstones, the Beatles and Roy Orbison, is still in evidence but Robbie doesn't forget that in their day these artists were groundbreakers and experimentalists.This third full album reaches high and shows that Robbie is not satisfied to merely play to his strengths but wants to bang against the restrictions of conventional pop formula. The opening three tracks culminating in the extremely catchy "Marissa" are the most straightforward ones and serve to show Robbie as a pop rocker. Then things get interesting as he stretches his vocal and instrumental chops to their breaking limits. His ode to his brother "Jason Michael" morphs into a trippy kaleidoscopic ending that McCartney would be truly jealous of while "The Carnival" is a showcase for Robbie's ability to play a character in a song, it is dramatic and cinematic but not forced. Another highlight is the instrumental "Sexy French Man", with it's rootsy approach. One day this artist will make a grand statement and "The Green Room" is another step in that positive direction.....Stephen Macknight