In The Optimist Hotel, there’s a man who makes roses out of paper napkins, a boy growing up in the 1960s, a man who didn’t teach Keith Richards how to play guitar, some soldiers who fought back at Bamber Bridge, a girl looking for her cat in Jenin, a woman who feeds the foxes, a woman who sells the Big Issue, the woman responsible for Animal Farm, & a couple sheltering from the rain. Recorded at Room 13 Studio in Gent, where Robb recorded 2024’s highly acclaimed Pennypot Lane, the album features contributions by Flemish Folk diva Vera Coomans on vocals, Yves Meerschaut on piano & Saskia Tomkins on viola. Vera was the female voice on the original production of Robb’s WW1 Gentle Men song suite, Yves provided sublime piano on last year’s album, & Saskia has played with Robb in various bands & on various albums for over 25 years.