Robert Lester Folsom – If You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes: Archives Vol. 3, 1972-1975
If You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes: Archives Vol. 3, 1972-1975 is another magical discovery from Georgia-born singer-songwriter Robert Lester Folsom’s oeuvre of soft psychedelia and rural rock n’ roll, written and recorded over 50 years ago yet prophetically resonant today. Born of lost summers, new love (and the breaks that follow), and hippie bluegrass shakes, these spirited takes to 4-track tape open a prismatic window onto a young artist finding their footing, and are testament to why Folsom’s legacy burns bright to this day.
The second single from Robert Lester Folsom’s If You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes: Archives Vol. 3, 1972-1975 is an anthem all that have felt the heady haze of a new love turning heavy. Folsom was a rocker and a romantic even in his youth, and he remembers often using the flint of past relationships to light his songwriting fire. “What Are You Thinking Of?” is a classic back-room crooner, carried by the raw power of acoustic guitar and drums. The song is a testament to Folsom’s early lyrical finesse, as much as his perceptive wisdom and sensitivity that even then extended far beyond his years.