There are songs that ease you in gently, maybe give you a hook, a vibe, something you can latch onto before realizing what they’re about. And then there are songs like “Standing In A Robe” by Garrett Anthony Rice, which kicks the door open, points at history’s worst people, gestures broadly at your personal life, and goes, “Hey. These are the same one problem.” No warm-up. No easing in. Just vibes and moral indictment.
Garrett Anthony Rice’s latest single is doing two things at once, and doing them very loudly: it’s about a failing relationship, and it’s about humanity’s bizarre tendency to romanticize powerful men who absolutely should not be romanticized. We’re talking Nero, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte; the kind of historical figures who get remembered for the outfits and the legacy, and not, you know, the atrocities.
Rice’s central thesis is basically: this instinct? It shows up everywhere. Not just in textbooks, but in relationships, in how we excuse behavior, in how we let presentation override reality. It’s a big idea, and to the song’s credit, it doesn’t try to hide it behind layers of metaphor. If anything, it’s practically underlined.
Musically, the track matches that energy. It’s heavy, dramatic, and very clearly trying to sound like it has something important to say. Which it does; it just also wants to make sure you don’t miss it. The production leans into that weight, with a gospel choir adding scale and urgency. That choir, interestingly, was directed remotely by Chris Potter, which feels like the kind of detail you only notice because everything else is already operating at maximum intensity.
And honestly, that’s kind of the whole experience. Nothing here is accidental or casual. Every choice, from the subject matter to the arrangement, feels like it’s been calibrated to land as a capital letter S Statement.
This fits neatly into what Rice has been building toward. After earlier releases under a different name and a growing catalog of concept-heavy singles, he’s now gearing up for EQUINOX, a double album that, yes, has eighteen tracks, because of course it does. Subtlety is not really the brand here.
But here’s the thing: for all its intensity, Standing In A Robe does work on a basic level. The idea is clear, the execution is committed, and there’s something compelling about a song that just goes all-in on its concept instead of hedging.
It’s not easy listening and it’s not trying to be.It’s the musical equivalent of someone grabbing you by the shoulders and going, “Hey. Pay attention to this.”
Whether you appreciate that or find it a bit much is going to depend entirely on your tolerance for being yelled at; politely, and with a choir.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for various publications around the world, the former lead writer of review blogspace Atop The Treehouse and content creator for Manila Bulletin.
