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Back to Sam!
A Boot and a Shoe - Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips is possibly the artist I've listened to the most in my life and this album for sure is the most ingrained in my brain. It got me through my first heartache, my complete lack of direction after college, and a general sense that somehow the world I was promised did not meet expectations.
I think Sam captures that feeling of spiritual exhaustion perfectly in this album, so many songs speak of deep, vulnerable longings and pains. But in the midst of that she finds beauty and growth as the way through pain leads to enlightenment. I think some artists can romanticize or wallow in the pain, but Sam is always interested in what comes after the pain.
Musically, she's at her most confident, leading with her voice which has always been her strongest asset and letting the music support her evocative and emotional songs. I've cried a lot listening to this album.
I'm not interested in having a critical conversation about this album. It's too personal to me, something that has kept me company for well over a decade and I doubt I'll ever get tired of it. If there was one piece of art I could show people and say, that's it, that's me, this is it. Not sure there's a higher compliment I can give any piece of art.
Don't Do Anything - Sam Phillips
I can confidently say this is my favorite of Sam's albums right now. I went from loving Martinis and Bikinis the most, then moved into the deeply personal A Boot and a Shoe as my favorite, but Sam turns it up here to another level that I just have to sit back and go wow, what an album.
The boldness of the instrumentation and her voice and songwriting all blend perfectly here into something magnificent. She struggled early on to balance the three and here every song is just a fine gem that I could listen to in isolation, but the whole album is a masterful exploration of the pain of relationships and the world-weary fatigue of life, but also the joy that comes along the journey.
There's a deep longing for something grand beyond the veil, a deeply spiritual sense of reality and a desire to evoke the sense that our desires and ambitions often far outstrip what the material world can offer us. It could be a bitter, angry album, but Sam seems hopeful that all the longing and pain has led her closer to truths about herself, the world, and those she loves.
I listened to a bunch of stuff after this and then just fell behind writing about it so I'm going to probably finish up Sam Phillips over the next few days and then probably leave those others for another time as I'm in no hurry.