Sam Amidon - I see the sign

Title: I see the sign
Artist: Sam Amidon
Genre: Folk / Experimental / Indie
Release Date: 2nd April 2010
Label: Bedroom Community



Album Review

It’s the fourth album of SAM AMIDON, I was asked to listen to and so I was quite excited what this for his experimental manners well-known guy would dish up. First of all: it’s not easy listening, that’s for sure. SAM AMIDON’s music / arrangements are full of lovely details and esteem. Every song bears evidence of careful, meticulous updating, and while the players jettison most of the original arrangements, there’s great respect for the source material. However, balancing his new arrangements with the original is not AMIDON’s only challenge: There’s also the matter of giving listeners a way into the album, to keep it from being a distant, museum-quality piece of work.

On the hand, he and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson rely on intimate production work. The traditional ‘Climbing High Mountains’ apparently carries little more than AMIDON’s crystal clear vocals and guitar; the horn, string and piano are mixed in such a subtle fashion that it takes a while to appreciate and realize the complexity of the song. And finally, he experiments with some more challenging structures. The title track, for instance, has a languid stop-start rhythm that actively resists falling into any kind of distinct, “pretty” melody. The songs he chooses (nothing on his fourth album was written by him) are circular, small melodies he might’ve whistled while flipping a coin waiting for a train.

It’s boon and bane - this release, in my opinion is not everyone’s gusto… but definitely a release you should listen to!


Tracklist

01. How Come That Blood
02. Way Go Lily
03. You Better Mind
04. I See the Sign
05. Johanna the Row-di
06. Pretty Fair Damsel
07. Kedron
08. Rain and Snow
09. Climbing High Mountains
10. Relief (R. Kelly)
11. Red


Line-up

Sam Amidon - Vocals, Instruments, Arrangements


Website

http://www.samamidon.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/samamidon


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 7.5
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 8.3 / 10


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