Samson and Delilah - Samson and Delilah

  by Anthony Middleton

published: 8 / 11 / 2009

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Naming yourselves in honour of one of the most brutal marital betrayals in mythology is presumably an ironic gesture by husband and wife duo Sam Lench and Anna Zweck. The eponymous album is apparently a celebration of their relationship, though thankfully that is not too obvious (John and Yoko love-in here) in an eclectic series of songs that meander around different genres while maintaining a sense of continuity. Zweck is gently spoken Australian, classically trained, while Lench comes from an indie background. This is not exactly a mix of those two styles, but rather a classically inspired song cycle with a strong eye on pop melodies. It reminds me rather of another collaboration between husband and wife, that of Craig and Sharon Fortnam of the North Sea Radio Orchestra. The vocals may not be as breathtaking and the music less colourfully baroque and polished, but as a debut it is certainly accomplished. 'Motherbird' is an Eastern European style stomp, all tubas and trombones, the kind of thing which would be intolerable for more than one song, though fitted within this context, it works perfectly. Much of the album was recorded at the couple’s home while other locations included family houses, the church where they tied the knot and studios around the country. 'Dreams of Yesterday' stands out; an unrelenting crescendo, building in scope and volume, occasionally relenting with Zweck’s soft voice muscled out testing by what sounds like a couple of marching bands. Lench’s voice may not be as well mannered as his wife’s, nor as distinctive, but is more than adequate on songs such as 'Angels Said' and 'Place To Be'. You suspect that they may concentrate on Zweck’s singing in the future, which would be a pity as the contrast is refreshing. Some songs are more obviously about the relationship; 'Starlight in the Afternoon', about time spent apart at opposite ends of the earth, shows off Zwecks whispery throaty voice off perfectly to a backing of droning and distantly heard drums. Samson and Delilah may not bring any temples crashing down quite yet, but their album is unusually colourful and textured and there are some genuinely outstanding songs and musicianship here.

Track Listing:-

1 Crystallized Sand
2 Swimming Against The Tide
3 And When The Rose
4 Dusk
5 The Hoop Snake
6 Mother Bird
7 Dreams Of Yesterday
8 Dawn
9 Starlight In Your Afternoon
10 Angels Said
11 Place To Be

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