Artist: Sam Phillips
Album: A Boot and a Shoe
Label: Nonesuch
Year: 2004
Reviewed by: Kat aLan
This album starts with a beautiful, lilting tune that makes one think that Sam Phillips is the female offspring of the marriage between The Beatles and Al Stewart. The music flows over pretty hills and valleys like thick, slow moving water. Accompanied by what could be acoustic guitar and gentle drums it is like a warm fuzzy for the ears.
The next track starts with an almost Bjork – like kettledrum-ish sound that sways to and fro with an almost bluesy feel. This is definitely put-your-feet-up music, music to make love by. A really good idea would be to ingest something of questionable legality, obtain something moist for your throat and park quietly in twilight. You will not listen to this in your car, unless it’s a huge cruiser ala ‘Going nowhere slowly’ and you’re parking somewhere safe overlooking the sea or some other such similar place of beauty and solitude.
This music is sweet and lovely without being cutesy-poo...
Some of the guitar work has a
cowboyish tinge accompanied by swaying violins reminiscent of Michelle
Shocked on a lazy day. It’s hard to believe that this
album came out in 2004; in this busy, rushing, noisy world along comes
Sam and says “chill out. Take a break from yourself and come sunbeam
surfing with me” With titles like ‘Reflecting
light’ and ‘Open the world’ and ‘I dreamed I stopped dreaming’
and ‘Love changes everything’ this album caters for the hippy in
all our souls. If you’re into the Joni Mitchells, the Carole Kings,
The Buffy St Maries etc. of this world, or if you know someone who is,
this is for you.On first hearing this I wanted
to rush out into the world and go on a quest to find Sam Phillips wherever
she is and just hold her to my breast and gently rock her while feeding
her rose petal shaped candy forever. This is Marianne Faithful after
brain surgery to have her angst removed – soft, warm, sometimes sad
but never boring. Try this on for size like a warm, soft mohair jersey.
Well, Gazi, there you have it!
What do you think? I hope it meets/mates with your
approval.
