Usually if the first line of an album is about being depressed, I’m going to say that it’s too melancholy and move on. But let me tell you, there’s a sincerity and believability to this album from Sam the Living that made me say “yes” pretty much straight away. If you’re a fan of contemplative singer songwriters, you’ll definitely want to consider this new EP.
“Feeling helpless won’t help you now.” The opening song “Wired” is as emotional a track as you’ll want to hear, almost poetic in its resonance, it’s a bit of a confessional and love letter all rolled into one. It’s achingly sincere, with an acoustic part that compliments the confessional emotions of the lyrics naturally.
The following track “We’re Fighting Again” has a light piano element to it and a brighter, almost pop jazz flavor to it. The snappiness in the acoustic guitar work in the opening invites the listener into the intimate style of the track. The rolling piano work helps to develop out the song with a narrative expression. If you’ve ever had a good thing go bad, this song will resonate.
The confessional, “I’m Afraid You’ll Leave Me” feels like a folk singer’s country song; it’s got this truthful concern at the heart of it. It’s about loneliness, being left, and the emotions that come from not just “when the day comes” but also the dreaded anticipation of “what if” it happens. The intimacy in this recording is almost unsettling, but I invite listeners to really feel it. This is a genuinely moving performance.
The penultimate “How Much Can You Take?” feels like a question while also being a declaration. The fingerpicking on this song might be my favorite single melody on the entire EP. There’s an energy to the song that has a palpable anticipation to it that is really welcome on this album. The full line is “how much can you take if you have nothing to give?” The melancholy is more in line with the rest of the EP, but honestly the brightness in the melody here is a welcome addition to the album.
The last track is similarly titled “The Feeling That Doesn’t Change,” which is almost prayer-like in its sincerity. It has a vocal melody, but the acapella style stands out. It reminds me of a loved one singing a lullaby or humming a tune off in the distance. Lyrically, it’s a song about mental health (I think) and it’s a very raw representation of internal thoughts.
If you can’t tell by now, I was really moved by this EP. If you have mental health concerns of your own or love someone who does, I believe this EP gives a lot of perspective of the persistence of the challenges. I hope that anyone hearing this and relating to it will get the help they need; that help may be medical or it might just be telling a friend who can share the burden. Or, like many of, it’s turning pain into art and sharing it with the world. Thank you Sam the Living.
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