|
 |
Sam Roberts
Love At the End of the World
Review By Andy Argyrakis
Though Love At the End of the World is Sam Roberts’ third record, it’s his first in the Zoe/Rounder family (also home to the Tragically Hip and Robert Plant/Alison Krauss respectively). The Canadian singer-songwriter is clearly in solid company, though he also adds to the label group’s stock by cranking out an authentic classic rock record that resounds with current indie rock appeal. Much of the attraction behind this project is the troubadour’s deft writing skills, which echo the narratives of early Bruce Springsteen and his flirtations with various facets of the American dream. Take for instance “Detroit ’67,” a romp based around the Motor City’s heyday loaded with vibrant piano pounding and booze-infused harmonies. The assessment of today’s homogenized shopping culture throughout “Stripmall Religion” isn’t exactly as cheerful, but it’s amongst the most thought provoking tunes on the disc.
British Invasion influences (like The Small Faces) collide with alternative country in “Them Kids,” jangly echoes of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers permeate “The Pilgrim,” and shades of raucous rockabilly run throughout “Fixed To Ruin.” Additional outlaw exploration appears on “Oh Maria” (which Roberts describes aptly as “the devotion of a man to a woman who walks the wrong side of the law”), followed by the gentle Brit-pop glow of “Lions of the Kalahari.” Hats off to Roberts for delivering well-worded messages within such compelling framework and here’s hoping the relative newcomer will last as long as the legends that likely inspired him.
|
