Exclusive: Listen to Alex Chilton’s New Album, Songs From Robin Hood Lane

The late Alex Chilton, former lead singer of Big Star and the Box Tops, will release two new LP’s, Songs From Robin Hood Lane and From Memphis to New Orleans. Both are being released by Bar/None Records and will be available on LP and CD on Feb. 8. You can listen to Songs From Robin Hood Lane in its entirety exclusively at Paste before it’s available on streaming and digital platforms on Feb. 22. From Memphis to New Orleans will be available on streaming and digital platforms on Feb. 8.

Both albums were recorded in the mid ‘80s and ‘90s at the height of Chilton’s fame and have been out of print for decades. For these recordings, Chilton returned to jazz and pop standards from the ‘50s that his father had originally played for him. Songs From Robin Hood Lane showcases his love for standards and features four unreleased performances as well as rare, long out of print tracks. Songs From Robin Hood Lane is an immensely soothing affair, featuring melodious brass and Chilton’s cheery, soulful vocals, which give new life to these timeless tunes.

According to a press release, Chet Baker was one of Chilton’s biggest musical influences, and Chilton fell in love with the singer at just seven years old. Chilton’s father, Sidney, was a jazz trumpeter and piano player, and he shared his extensive vinyl collection with Alex, who was blown away by Baker’s debut vocal album, 1954’s Chet Baker Sings. Chilton first heard the album when his family was living in a Memphis suburb on a street called Robin Hood Lane, and it provided some much-needed comfort after Chilton’s brother Reid passed away from accidental drowning.

Listen to Songs From Robin Hood Lane, exclusively on Paste below.