 It is crushingly sad, but entirely heartfelt.
He teased us with fresh renditions of ÔÇÿBabe IÔÇÖm Gunna Leave YouÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿWhole Lotta LoveÔÇÖ at Glastonbury this year. With the use of African rhythms and eclectic instrumentation, Robert Plant imbued the Led Zeppelin classics with vitality and wild exuberance; he did not present himself as a wilting rock star, short of money and ideas. Instead, Plant managed to woo a Pyramid Stage audience with a fine polished performance.
There were rumours lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar would be his last work, that Plant needed a cash cow for his pending retirement. Yet, at no point does the album come across as the love child of incessant marketing and manufactured┬ásong-writing. Each song simply portrays the integrity of PlantÔÇÖs love for music. His liberation from the confines of profit necessity has allowed the creation of songs free from pretence or deceit.
ÔÇÿIn ÔÇÿEmbrace Another FallÔÇÖ, intricate guitar riffs are balanced perfectly with synthesizers and string parts. Melancholic lyrics are emphasised by the purity of his voice, and are largely focused on his affection for Wales. He is accompanied by guest singer Julie Murphy, and ties in Welsh Ballad ÔÇÿMarwnad Yr Ehedydd (The Larks Elegy). Much of the album centres on PlantÔÇÖs return to Britain, leaving behind the dry heat of American deserts, instead embracing grey skies and drizzling rain.
ÔÇÿStolen KissÔÇÖ is perhaps the most beautiful pieces of work in PlantÔÇÖs discography, and is suffused with the recurring theme of homecoming. It is a simple ballad; his voice floats over a calm sea of soft piano, purposefully recorded in Bath Chapel to give it natural reverb.┬á Plant sings of his break up with US folk singer Patty Griffin, and the elusive love for her that was encompassed by homesickness. It is crushingly sad, but entirely heartfelt, and only serves to prove his maturity as a songwriter.
lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar is a bubbling concoction of world music, riddled with deep-seated emotion, itÔÇÖs lyrics permeated with wonderful and diverse life experiences. It is clear to see the flame of creativity burns ferociously in Robert Plant. The album encapsulates the magic hidden in the Welsh borders, the loneliness of AmericaÔÇÖs vast plains, and the wicked ways of love and heartbreak.