Justin Roberts - Bright Becomes Blue (CD)

⭐ "Exquisitely beautiful" — Minneapolis City Pages
🎬 "Tiny Thread" submitted for Emmy — Best Original Song

Before the kindie rock anthems, before the GRAMMY nominations, before the ice cream trucks and imaginary rhinos — there was this. Bright Becomes Blue is Justin Roberts' adult singer-songwriter album, recorded in 1999 between his first two children's records, and it's a quietly stunning piece of work that most of his fans have never heard. This reissue edition (2008) includes a bonus track.

Produced by longtime collaborator Liam Davis, the album pairs Roberts' unmistakable voice with acoustic guitar, organ, bass, and subtle percussion across 11 songs about heartbreak, memory, and the slow ache of things ending. The liner notes were written by John Jeremiah Sullivan — the celebrated essayist and contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, best known for his collection Pulphead — whose prose is a perfect match for the emotional depth of the record. Critics compared it to Nick Drake, Tim Buckley, Frank Sinatra's Wee Small Hours, and James Taylor's Sweet Baby James, and placed Roberts alongside Ron Sexsmith, Elliott Smith, and Rufus Wainwright as a songwriter who values sincerity over style. Minneapolis City Pages called it "exquisitely beautiful." The track "Tiny Thread" was featured in the Showtime film A Class of His Own and submitted for Emmy consideration for Best Original Song.

A remarkable document of a remarkable artist at a very different moment in his life. Essential for longtime Justin Roberts fans and a genuine discovery for anyone who loves late-night acoustic songwriting. Released 1999, reissued 2008 on Carpet Square Records.

1. Ruby Red Shoes
2. Tiny Thread
3. Rosary
4. 12 True Days of Christmas
5. Old Café
6. Bethlehem
7. Laissez Fair
8. Fields & Floors
9. Edelweiss
10. Still
11. Bright Becomes Blue
—
I Know You Will (bonus track)