#samamidon

Sam Amidon ~ Fatal Flower Garden EP (A Tribute to Harry Smith) ~ 2019

Sam’s versions followed by the original from the Anthology of American Folk Music as compiled by Harry Smith.

Spike Driver Blues: Sam Amidon ~ Mississippi John Hurt

Fatal Flower Garden: Sam Amidon ~ Nelstone’s Hawaiians

Dry Bones: Sam Amidon ~ Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Bright Sunny South by Sam Amidon

Genre: Andrew Bird-Style Adult Contemporary Freak Folk (USA, 2013)

Grade: C+

 This is an album of traditional & traditional-sounding songs that float in and out of your consciousness with little impact.

 This album is milquetoast. Some of his stuff ends up having a profound impact on you, but this album just coasted in and out without once grabbing my attention. Still, I gave it the grade I did because I felt that most people would be fine with such an inoffensive album and its forgettable lyrics.

 Sam Amidon has a distinct sound, so much so, that once you’ve heard a few of his albums you can recognize one of his tunes immediately. His music is known for it’s acoustic feel with a traditional band based on the country/roots format. Many of his songs will also have instrumental passages where he overlays instruments on top of one another until it forms a noisy drone. He’s also known for his affected quasi-falsetto singing style that, like Joanna Newsom, Neil Young, or Danielson Familie will either add character or alienate you as a listener.