aaamusic | On 08, Mar 2014

A truly exquisite second album from folk singer-songwriter, Sam Brookes! Sam is an exceptional artist and listening to his new album, Kairos, is like wandering down a long forgotten, overgrown path, winding its way through a magical garden.  He describes himself as a storyteller influenced by John Steinbeck, and he is just that; a muse who sings of happenings in our everyday lives in a beautiful way. His compositions are unique, and they really are full blown compositions with many layers and textures, effects and subtle alterations which make listening to the album an entirely stimulating experience.

‘Numb’, the first track after ‘Intro’, is brimming with bubbling undercurrents. None of the sounds we experience are ‘typical’; everything has been thought out to result in an exhilarating voyage (even if the voyage is just through an overgrown garden, or through love and loss!). From the beats that Brookes has chosen to accentuate and the sounds he has used, to the vocal harmonies and where they enter, it is an inventive and captivating piece of art. Not to mention the beautiful lyrics and his outstanding voice!

His chorister days of times gone by linger on in his work today through his beautiful falsetto and well-defined melodic lines. His approach to the voice reminds me of James Blake and Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes but his song writing calls to mind Joanna Newsom and Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and This is the Kit. He has a wonderful gift for phrasing his songs to make them conversational, with the same inflects and pauses of normal speech.

The album is a mixture of up beat numbers such as ‘This is the Place’, ‘James’ and ‘No Time’ and some really thought-provoking songs such as ‘Numb’ and ‘Breaking Blue’. It encompasses all manner of emotions and uses all sorts of sounds and special effects but has a very sturdy, pure musical heart – the best of both worlds and is entirely accessible because it is music about people, for people!

Sam is currently on tour, supporting Newton Faulkner and will soon be starting his headlining tour of the UK, in which time he will be self releasing this brilliant new album, Kairos, on the 17^th March!

★★★★★

Heather Ryall