Christina Rubio hails from Brooklyn NY. Her mother, an Irish Catholic and her father, an Italian-immigrant, Christina was raised with her 7 siblings. Realizing her passion for music in her late teens, she began playing within groups as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist. In 2008, Rubino joined the all-female group Violator, a NYC based Depeche Mode cover band, as the lead guitarist. 2009 marked the transition by members of Violator to Josephine, an all-female trio in which Rubino handled lead vocals and guitars. After releasing an EP with Josephine in 2009 under Feed that Baby Records, Rubino went on to write and record her debut solo record, “Alive From The Scrap Heap” in 2014, before returning to the studio for her 2016 “Godspeed & Guns” release.
“Godspeed and Guns” has been anticipated with the single and video release of the title track, while the full album will drop on January 6th, 2017. How many singers give you goose bumps? Not many in my experience, yet you’ll get them when listening to this song, even after dozens of listening sessions.
Christina Rubio’s vocal at the opening of “Godspeed and Guns”, above an acoustic guitar backing, will not only gives you goose bumps, it is so intense that it could even can even bring a tear to your eye. Christina has an amazingly raw and brazen voice, and it is on full, glorious display here.
It isn’t just her voice, however; the musical contribution cannot be underestimated. Strings, Spanish guitars, as well as horns, are no strangers to rock music, but it isn’t often you also hear trumpets and trombones. And you really can hear each instrument; it isn’t just a wall of sound. That shows how well the arrangement, recording, mastering and production were done. All this really adds to the atmosphere of this emotionally turbulent and noir-induced track.
There’s no doubt she’s a talented, gifted woman and her intentions through her music here marks an interesting pathway into the unexpected. Firstly the single “Godspeed and Guns” is just over 7 minutes long.
Secondly, through all of that time the track haunts the soul like a ghost at midnight, capturing then holding your attention right until the end. The song is almost cinematic in its approach, and for that reason lends itself perfectly to the video clip which adds a further artistic dimension to the track.
And then to complete her skillset, Christina Rubio is a masterful storyteller. Her lyrics swell beautifully with dark, haunting, and profound verses, as she pulls you into her tainted and twisted world.
The combination of her voice, the lyrics, and the music all create a disturbingly surrealistic atmosphere. It’s percussive, it’s intense, it’s soaring. You will find “Godspeed and Guns” absolutely captivating.
