Robinson Looks Back as He Moves Forward

When the Black Crowes put new twists on familiar rock and soul licks in the ‘90s, they gave Gen-X its own classic-rock band. So it’s no surprise that lead singer Chris Robinson’s new solo material conjured up similar musical ghosts during an acoustic performance Monday at the El Rey Theatre.

The vibe was different than a Crowes concert, as the affable Robinson and Paul Stacey, who co-produced the forthcoming solo debut “New Earth Mud,” played guitars sitting down for an hour and 40 minutes. The sounds ranged from country-folk to R&B; balladry to psychedelic rock as they previewed about half the CD due in October, and offered renditions of classic numbers by Ray Charles, the Band and others.

There was even a sense of continuity with the old days, as ex-Crowe Marc Ford, who co-wrote Robinson’s languid “Sunday Sound,” joined in for the encore. But the music was a little less Stones and Faces, a little more Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, with Stacey providing sonic drama in his tasteful, evocative slide work and delicate finger-picking.

Still, partly because Robinson evoked songwriters that few can equal, the show had that same Crowes-esque sense of preserving, rather than furthering, the music he loves. His messages about the serenity of love and the need to move on in one’s life were certainly more personal, but the sentiments felt overly simplistic.

Even when he crafted compelling images, as in the reflective “Silver Car,” the songs eventually meandered, as if his ambition exceeded his ability to express himself.