Sam Evian - Premium

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 22 / 12 / 2016

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Review

New York-based Sam Evian has described his debut album, 'Premium’, as “an analogue dream in a digital world”; fair enough and, after listening to the album, few could argue with that description. The problem lies elsewhere with claims that ‘Premium’ "recalls a sunbaked cassette of ‘Pet Sounds’ or ‘All Things Must Pass’, composed with glowing guitar chords, aching pedal steel… ." ‘Premium’ is Evian’s debut and, although he proves his ability throughout the album, let’s just remember that it took both Wilson and Harrison years before they created their career peaks. To suggest that a musician is going to come and match the beauty in either of those albums on their debut is bordering on stupid. Or so those who have lived with those classic albums for decades would think… That Evian has been influenced by such albums and artists is obvious. He’s either the owner of a very impressive record collection or been exposed to deeply melodic music in his formative years. What makes Evian so different from his contemporaries who have the same credentials, however, is the fact that while he is looking over his shoulder and making subtle nods to the many forms of melodic pop which have been produced through the years he’s not actually replicating it; he’s used it as a springboard for his own ideas. And the results are quite staggering. Coming to this album straight from the Lemon Twigs' ‘Do Hollywood’ was both a good and bad move. Both young acts are indebted to the classic sounds from the golden era of pop, and both the D’Addario brothers and Evian are multi-instrumentalists who are capable of moulding their influences into a fresh, exciting sound. And it balances out; Michael D’Addario, when playing drums at least, is the reincarnation of Keith Moon while Evian not only handles the bulk of the instruments on ‘Premium’ but he wrote all nine songs and engineered, produced and mixed the whole thing too. It’s quite frightening why all these young talented musicians are on the scene at the same time. Despite being cut from a similar cloth, ‘Premium’ is more instantly gratifying than ‘Do Hollywood’. Evian takes an idea and sticks with it. He gives the songs time and space to breath but stays with his original vision while the Lemon Twigs, albeit successfully at times, try to cram three songs into one a little too often. When Evian finds the right groove he rightly stays with it. Why waste a good thing? Shorn of any kind of quirkiness but still embedded with a sense of fun, every song on ‘Premium’ is a winner. The opening ‘Sleep Easy’ is an early indication that Evian is a master of melodies and his breathy vocal style is immediately appealing. There’s a dream-like quality to this song that given the title is expected but this almost otherworldly feeling hangs over much of the rest of the album too, making it a both a perfect soundtrack to a summer yet to come or a close friend to get close to on long, dark cosy winter nights. The psychedelic guitar touches that bring ‘Sleep Easy’ to a close are going to raise a smile on the face of any 60's child. While we are on the subject of guitars the following song, ‘Cactus’, another dreamy slice of well-crafted pop, features a guitar solo from Evian that is simply stunning. His guitar playing throughout the album is outstanding. The slide guitar on this track compliments Evian’s almost fragile vocals brilliantly. Even when Evian adds a rockier slant to his music as on ‘Dark Love’, the resulting sound is still mellow, his vocals still sounding like they might crack at any given time. The burst of saxophone might well shake you out of that warm slumber the first time it’s heard but even that doesn’t interrupt the warm, comforting ambience that ‘Premium’ creates. ‘Carolina’ with its ‘Sparky’ influenced vocals is an unexpected diversion. Evian’s treated vocals make the song sound almost like an instrumental, and slotted in at the halfway mark is a welcome reprise for those who find his smooth, breathy vocals on the other songs a little too much of a good thing. Lyrically Evian touches on some interesting subjects but so strong and irresistible are his melodies that, coupled with his at times almost whispered vocals, they don’t always register on the first few plays. ‘I Need A Man’, for example, "calls for an end to the tyranny of ignorance, racism, sexism and violence" and was inspired by a number of stories of sexual abuse in the music industry. It’s so musically rich and Evian’s vocals as on many of these songs become another instrument that what he is actually singing about takes second place until you’ve had the chance to absorb all that is going on in each song. ‘Premium’ is a perfect thirty-five minutes of pure, dreamy pop, laced with subtle psychedelic touches, a debut like no other this year and an album that is going to stay the course, Evian’s only problem is how he is going to follow this, Maybe he cut his ‘Pet Sounds’ with his debut after all.

Track Listing:-

1 Sleep Easy
2 Cactus
3 Dark Love
4 Big Car
5 Carolina
6 I Need a Man
7 Summer Running
8 Golden Skull
9 Tear

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/sam3vian
https://www.instagram.com/samphonepics
https://samevian.bandcamp.com/releases
https://en-gb.facebook.com/sam3vian/

Label Links:-

http://saddle-creek.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SaddleCreekRe
http://www.last.fm/label/Saddle+Creek
https://www.youtube.com/user/SaddleCre
https://twitter.com/saddlecreek