2008 Woodie Awards
CD Review: Sam Amidon
Sam Amidon combines Appalachian folk with rich orchestration
Doug Campbell
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: A&E
With Iron and Wine's fuller, louder sound and the graduation of Sufjan Stevens from Seven Swan's minimalist banjo folk to the fully orchestrated pop of Illinois and The Avalanche, the indie folk scene has been left wanting for quiet but substantial acoustic music. Fortunately, niches aren't often left unfilled, and artists like José Gonzalez and Fionn Regan have helped. Their intricate and exposed guitar work can make a listener feel like the artist is serenading them personally. With All is Well, Vermont-native Sam Amidon provides a wonderful middle ground. Careful guitar and heartfelt singing give this album the feel of a live acoustic performance, while Amidon simultaneously incorporates subtle digital studio effects and equally understated orchestration.
Unlike Gonzalez or Regan, Amidon could not be classified as a "singer-songwriter" on this album; these aren't his songs. Instead, Amidon has found obscure Appalachian folk songs about pretty girls, wedding dresses, and death and reworked them, making them unquestionably his own.
Highlights of the album include "Saro," "Wild Bill Jones," and "All is Well." Amidon has perfectly complemented the gentle strings, brass, and woodwinds of "Saro" with a music video, available online, comprised of found video clips that hint at Americana and the settlers of the American frontier. "I came to this country, eighteen and forty-nine," sings Amidon, and one is inclined to believe him. He continues, "I thought myself lucky for to be alive," and the text's gracefully understated peace is amplified by the pastoral strings and genuine vocals.
"Wild Bill Jones," like "Glenn Tipton" by Sun Kil Moon, is a beautifully soft song with surprisingly violent lyrics. Amidon sings, "So I drew a revolver from my side and I shot out the poor boy's soul." The character of the song commits his act out of jealousy, but the tone of the song puts it in an eerily beautiful setting. While the act certainly isn't condoned, at least the song is still quite pretty.
The last track of the album, "All is Well," is Amidon's take on a Mormon hymn; he manages to sing about faith and death without sounding cliché, and the song's orchestration builds beautifully to the album's climactic finish.
All is Well will be available for purchase February 5. Links to the music video for "Saro" can be found at www.samamidon.com. Tracks from All is Well and other recordings are available at Amidon's MySpace.
Unlike Gonzalez or Regan, Amidon could not be classified as a "singer-songwriter" on this album; these aren't his songs. Instead, Amidon has found obscure Appalachian folk songs about pretty girls, wedding dresses, and death and reworked them, making them unquestionably his own.
Highlights of the album include "Saro," "Wild Bill Jones," and "All is Well." Amidon has perfectly complemented the gentle strings, brass, and woodwinds of "Saro" with a music video, available online, comprised of found video clips that hint at Americana and the settlers of the American frontier. "I came to this country, eighteen and forty-nine," sings Amidon, and one is inclined to believe him. He continues, "I thought myself lucky for to be alive," and the text's gracefully understated peace is amplified by the pastoral strings and genuine vocals.
"Wild Bill Jones," like "Glenn Tipton" by Sun Kil Moon, is a beautifully soft song with surprisingly violent lyrics. Amidon sings, "So I drew a revolver from my side and I shot out the poor boy's soul." The character of the song commits his act out of jealousy, but the tone of the song puts it in an eerily beautiful setting. While the act certainly isn't condoned, at least the song is still quite pretty.
The last track of the album, "All is Well," is Amidon's take on a Mormon hymn; he manages to sing about faith and death without sounding cliché, and the song's orchestration builds beautifully to the album's climactic finish.
All is Well will be available for purchase February 5. Links to the music video for "Saro" can be found at www.samamidon.com. Tracks from All is Well and other recordings are available at Amidon's MySpace.
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