I knew absolutely nothing about this guy until a few days ago, but apparently he's world famous in Canada (i.e. he can sell out 3000 seat venues in his homeland) and he's got a new album out that's apparently really good.
In any case, this particular song from his major label debut strikes me as the closest thing I've heard in ages to a 21st century version of The Kinks in their earliest 60s incarnation, which is obviously high praise in my book.
4 comments:
Note to self: Unknown in America alt-rockers from Canadia less interesting to readers than expected.
:-)
His first EP, which was unreleased, is really really good too -- a bit more eclectic than his label releases.
Sam Roberts may be a 21st version of the Kinks in their earliest 60s incarnation, but who were the Kinks a later version of? They had no obvious antecedents -- certainly not the bluesmen they feyly aped and quickly abandoned. People cite music hall, folk, merseybeat, etc., as influences, but really, the Kinks resemble those other things only in the most superficial ways.
I mean, is this Sam Roberts likely to attempt the extraordinary range of expression -- from All Day and All of the Night, to Big Black Smoke, to Lady Genevive -- that the Kinks covered before reaching age 30? Not that he isn't good in his way ...
He's certainly delivering it like Ray. Good stuff. (By the way, you've had two more comments than I've had today.)
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