SAM BAKER-“Cotton”
Posted on September 23rd, 2009 by ekko
Austin’s Sam Baker may just have written most painful song of the year. A song that asks, “What would make a person leave and not come back? Not a day goes by when I don’t think about you.” Every time I hear “Angel Hair” it breaks me in two. You should go buy “Cotton” just to support a singer-songwriter who could create a song full of such profound beauty.
But there’s more than just one great song here. You also get a nifty little reworking of the old classic, “Dixie,” the rousing title track, and a handful of songs full of characters and concepts that are so well drawn they sound like a country version of Tom Waits’ diary.
This, the third album of a trilogy, is easily one of the best records of the year. Every note, every lyrical line, every well-placed background singer, is placed with precision, like a hand-crafted sculpture. Baker’s vocal style is understated, like Bill Callahan, but he knows just when to bring in the gospel to fill in where he cannot, like on the title track. I don’t think I’ve made this statement before: This is a perfect record.
BONUS HAIR SONGS!
Big Hair-Fred Eaglesmith (YSI)
Sister Goldenhair (America)-Counting Crows (YSI)
Comment By: Donna Mavity
October 26th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
I host a live radio show called Donna’s Americana. It’s out of a small town in south Georgia, but is listened to all over the country via the online version. I have been amazed at the response to Sam Baker’s Cotton, and Angel Hair in particular. One caller told me that she and her husband both cried when they heard it.
This is exciting to me, because I am in a part of the country where people say “Americana–what’s that?” I’m sure the majority of my local listeners have never heard of Sam Baker, yet they are calling in and commenting on and requesting him! I love his music and am happy to spread it around!