Rodd Keith - Cancel All My Dreams On Tomorrow

Review by Stéphane E. RAYNAUD de FITTE

Rodd Keith's album Cancel All My Dreams On Tomorrow is a masterpiece of outsider music. The album features Keith's distinctively haunting voice, accompanied by his own lo-fi instrumentation, which ranges from simple acoustic guitar to psychedelic, tape-looped soundscapes. The lyrics are equally strange and poetic, exploring themes of alienation, despair, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.

What makes this album so compelling is Keith's willingness to experiment with different sounds and styles, often within the same song. For example, "I'm the One Who Loves You" starts as a sparse, mournful ballad before morphing into a jazzy, horn-driven groove. Similarly, "I'm So Glad I'm Not Young Anymore" begins with a disorienting tape loop before settling into a gentle folk melody.

Throughout the album, Keith's voice is a constant presence, sometimes quavering and vulnerable, other times growling and defiant. His lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and unexpected turns of phrase, such as "I'm the king of the mountains, but I'm also the queen of the hills" (from "King of the Mountains").

Summary by Stéphane E. RAYNAUD de FITTE

Cancel All My Dreams On Tomorrow is a deeply personal and idiosyncratic work that rewards repeated listens. It's not for everyone, but those who are drawn to the weird and wonderful world of outsider music will find much to love here.