EP Review by Michael McKenna
Nor'easter Entertainment Magazine
Sam Weber is a road dog of a younger breed. A known guitar
slinger and record maker of Western Canada, Sam has set his chops loose in his
own musical pastures. Hailing from the open skies and minds of North Sanich,
Vancouver Island, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter has gone from strength to
strength with gigs and EP releases that have caught the imagination of
listeners in his home country of Canada and all across the world. This
ambitious and masterful debut full-length album is the culmination of years
already spent focused on touring and recording. His melodic guitar licks and
old soul vocals provide a perfect blend of brilliant songwriting worthy of an
artist with years of experience. Most of the tracks were written when he was 15
years old. His music has been described as artful and addictive.
The prestigious Berklee College of Music also saw Weber’s
incredible potential, awarding him a summer scholarship when he was just 17.
The school went on to award him a full-time scholarship, but Weber’s artistic
instincts proved too restless and he returned home to Canada to pursue his song
craft.
The “Shadows In The Road” EP is six songs curated by Sam Weber
from his debut album, “Shadows In The Road.” This is an album of intense
contrasts, emotional entanglement, and mercurial, enthralling arrangements. It
plants Sam's evident affection for freedom, fleeting love, rocky mountain
desert valleys, and Bruce Springsteen into sonic prose.
The EP opens with, “Right Hearted”, opens with sound that
grabs you from the door. The strong acoustic blend of guitar, percussion and
piano licks accentuate his awesome pipes. This track has peppy rhythms and has
mainstream appeal! “August” is a killer cut! The story line has him telling how
he is so lovesick and how he professes his love for his significant partner.
His ability to range his vocals stands out here. “Don't Hurt” oozes so much
inner heartfelt feeling from Sam. This balladic tune also is single material
and would make the ladies swoon.
“Rolling” is a brilliant up-beat piece that exudes so much
flavor in the mold of today's Americana combined with a pop sound nicely
complimented by excellent guitars. One of my favorites on this effort! “Burn
Out” builds from acoustic picking combined with the right amount of percussion
that gives this track a full sound. Sam's vocals are piercing and hold the
listener captive throughout. The final track, “Something To Say” has a cool
back-country flavor that is accented by the slide-guitar parts that stand out
very prominently. Once again, Sam gives it up on his powerful vocals. Another
of my favorites!
One can hear influences from some of the greats like Bruce
Springsteen, Al Stewart and Gordon Lightfoot in Sam Weber's style and
projections. This young man is going to make waves in his home country and with
the proper promotion, he will kick it worldwide in short order.
This EP is a MUST LISTEN! On the Nor'easter Storm Scale, I give
this a FORCE 3! WELL DONE SAM!
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