Obviously just like Robert Milkwood is the 12th studio album from Swedish singer-songwriter Jon-Olov Woxlin, featuring 14 tracks built around his guitar, harmonicas, and introspective songwriting. Following our coverage of memorable albums Junk Trunk and One Way Ticket from Earth, the new release continues Woxlin’s affecting exploration of personal direction, change, and belonging.
“Where do I begin” opens the album with a timeless warmth, mingling trickling acoustics and expressive harmonica into Woxlin’s memorable lead introspection. “Somewhere we stand, with our future at hand, looking to find some promised land,” he lets out, lamenting on the “corners we have trapped ourselves in” while seeking that form of personal sanctuary. The title-bearing punctuation thereafter and flourish of harmonica lend a further compelling quality. The track’s lyrical ruminations engage as well, depicting one trying to find their path while their world is “in a spin” and they “don’t know where I’m bound, or where I have been.” It’s an impactful, relatable piece of folk songwriting exemplary of Woxlin’s artful lyricism, resonant delivery, and memorable interplay of guitars and harmonicas.
The high-quality songwriting is abundant throughout the release. “Closer to closure” provides more specificity on the aforementioned “promised land,” as Woxlin depicts “there’s no place I’d rather be” in portraying the act of letting go and making new trails. Another reference to being “bound” continues a reflection on personal stagnation and growth, also captured on the impactful “Need of changes.” “There’s something vicious spreading its wings,” Woxlin phrasing emotes amidst tender acoustic work, emitting a perspective of how we can learn from a history of ample suffering and tumult, yet still find difficulty adapting to change and betterment. The album’s outlook on navigating amidst chaos, both internal and external, propels onward with artistic entrancement.
Elsewhere, “Born in sin” embraces particularly vibrant guitar finger-picking and more riveting societal realities, exuding that “either you’re a Samaritan or a thief” in a world that’s often seen in black and white. “I’m trying to get closer to the truth,” he admits, coexisting with others in a world where we are all supposedly “born in sin,” again stirring in pairing relatable depictions of self with age-old thoughts on morality and existence. “Traveling abroad” is another highlight, fusing effervescent harmonica flutters alongside fervent acoustics, reminding here of The Tallest Man on Earth. The train-set recollections are conveyed with lyrical power, of “feelings that have haunted me since birth.” The song’s basis of “reminding me of where I belong” continues to deliver a thematic ethos of personal belonging and direction. A no-frills, affecting folk success through all 14 tracks, Obviously just like Robert Milkwood is an excellent full-length from Jon-Olov Woxlin.
