Robbie Robertson to release new album, "Sinematic," in September; debuts new duet with Van Morrison

Posted By: Staff
July 25, 2019 @ 1:00 pm
Music News

UMe

UMeRobbie Robertson, legendary guitarist and songwriter of The Band, will release Sinematic, his first new studio album in eight years, on September 20.

The 13-track collection includes songs connected with, or inspired by, two upcoming projects involving Robertson: the documentary Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band and Martin Scorsese‘s biographical crime epic The Irishman.

Once Were Brothers is based on Robertson’s 2016 memoir Testimony, while Robbie is doing the score for The Irishman, a film about confessed hit man Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. He and Scorsese are long-time pals.

In advance of Sinematic, Robertson has released the album’s lead track, a duet with Van Morrison titled “I Hear You Paint Houses,” as a digital single and via streaming services. Fans who pre-order the record also will receive a free download of the song.

The tune is drawn from The Irishman and the book on which it’s based, I Heard You Paint Houses, whose title is a phrase mobsters use when hiring a hit man.

Another song on Sinematic is “Once Were Brothers,” which Robertson wrote about his old group The Band, most of whose members have passed away.

The album closes with “Remembrance,” a tribute to late Microsoft co-founder and music fanatic Paul Allen that features guitar work from Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II.

Sinema also includes contributions from ex-Who touring bassist Pino Palladino, famed session drummer Jim Keltner, Glen Hansard of The Frames and The Swell Season, singer/songwriter Citizen Cope and Scottish DJ/producer Howie B.

The album will be available on CD, as a 180-gram-vinyl two-LP set and digitally. A Deluxe Edition featuring the CD, the LPs and a 36-page hardcover book of artwork Robertson created for each track will be released on October 25.

Here is Sinema‘s full track list:

“I Hear You Paint Houses”
“Once Were Brothers”
“Dead End Kid”
“Hardwired”
“Walk in Beauty Way”
“Let Love Reign”
“Shanghai Blues”
“Wandering Souls”
“Street Serenade”
“The Shadow”
“Beautiful Madness”
“Praying for Rain”
“Remembrance”