Event

Robby Hecht

A proper artist struggles to influence life's signal to noise ratio. Under the right kind of concentration, the static grows quiet. The extraneous and the superficial are pared away. And precious human qualities are held still, carefully turned over and inspected for illuminating details. In Robby Hecht's case, this effort emerges as music that invites and even induces the listener to a similar place of serenity, clarity and patience.

"When I'm writing by myself something can take three years until I get past my own self-editing phase," says Hecht about his meticulous approach. "Everything I write I'm trying to capture some kind of truth that I haven't heard anyone say in that way before."

And that's what we hear on Hecht's third album, a self-titled collection of twelve lovely and insightful songs. Those who give it time will be seduced by a quality that fellow songwriter Steve Poltz once compared to "a warm blanket that wraps itself around you." And Poltz is but one of many peers in the folk music community who've testified to the magnitude of Hecht's talents. Catie Curtis, Anais Mitchell, Julie Lee and others have gushed about the "natural beauty" of Hecht's tone, the "honey in his voice" and his "authentic gifts" as a lyricist. Prizes from songwriting contests at Kerrville and Telluride have further confirmed Hecht's stature as a musician's musician. Now, with several circuits of the nation under his belt and a widening base of support in the songwriter world, Hecht is worthy of wider recognition by fans of observant, immersive music.