Robbie Gennet’s third self-produced full-length album release of 2025, Golden Wings begins expanding his boundaries and styles, with songs ranging from the orchestrated pop rock of “The Bitter Pill” to the smooth funk of “Pain Killer” and the album’s first single, “Choices.”
“Choices” features the Wurlitzer electric piano, a sound in use on quite a few songs on Robbie’s new material. “I had a Wurly for many years, but lost it in the fire that took my house,” recounts Gennet. “It has a great sound that provides a unique flavor and character. I love the sparse arrangement with the keys and bass, which just felt right for this song. Sometimes the cake doesn’t need any frosting at all.”
The diversity of the songs and styles still feel cohesive, even while Gennet stretches out his approach, whether it’s keys, bass guitar or songwriting. On “Choices,” the bass line has an angular, art rock kind of funk to it, reminiscent of the Talking Heads. With “Aegean Skies,” Gennet set out to write in the style of Donald Fagen, who he has long respected and enjoyed. “Do It with a Smile” features the sound of a Farfisa organ, which evokes a heavy 60’s vibe. Being a keyboardist gives Robbie other voices to ‘speak’ in, opening up a vastly wider array of personalities, characters and moods that’s he’s all too happy to explore.
The songs “Serious” and “Handle It” are primarily synth-driven, a harbinger of electronic sounds to come on future songs in the series. These albums evolve with Gennet’s curiosity, as he wasn’t content to repeat himself in search of a sound or style. “I find the more styles I dip into, the more I find my sound,” says Gennet. “That’s why an artist like Bowie was so great. Whether it was soul, funk and cabaret or jungle and drum & bass, he found his own sound with it. And that’s really how I’m continuously exploring my own style, driven by sheer curiosity and imagination.”
As each of these albums in this series unfolds, Robbie’s sound and style keep evolving and changing to where it becomes ever more difficult to label him. By year’s end, the talented musician’s hope is that his name will be the only label for his style. “That is the hallmark of originality and the highest aim in a world full of boring conformity,” laughs Gennet. “Be your own style.”
