Sam Amidon – I See The Sign

The traditions of ‘Trad. Folk’ are undoubtedly rooted to the core history and expression of music ”“ songs and ballads that are timeless between generations, reinterpreted by a teller in their present, amalgamating their experience onto nostalgia carried from eras long past. It seems apt that musicians and singers in the 21st century still impressing modern experience onto these tales, carrying them between genres.I See The Sign, Sam Amidon’s fourth record, reconstructs predominantly American folk songs into an invigorated equilibrium of disruption and calm. Muted banjo and moog confer at the core of album opener ‘How Come That Blood’, with Amidon’s vocal pertaining an amber-like richness ”“ it’s hard to draw comparisons to its sound, but present is the warmth of the tragically-overused Nick Drake and melodic similarities to Arthur Russell.The parent-son discourse of slaughter and separation precursors the record’s narrative concerning the impending judgment, brought to life with the help of some close collaborators ”“ multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, composer-extraordinaire Nico Muhly, Valgeir Sigurðsson in the producer’s chair and a smattering of vocals from Beth Orton, appearing after a quiet few years. ‘You Better Mind’ proves a rich display of this collaboration, as Amidon and Orton duet within a landscape Muhly’s anxious neo-classical orchestration. Acoustic guitars row through an undertow strings and woodwind on ‘I See The Sign’, having observed “the sign of the judgement”, “two tall angels on a chariot wheel” and a plethora of rising dark imagery.Though it’s not all tumultuous in content with ‘Way Go Lily’ and ‘Johanna The Row-di’ ”“ two children’s singing-games originating from Georgia Sea Islands. There’s an innocence in Sam’s voice as he sings “I’m so tired” on the latter, alongside Beth’s lulling harmonies - sounding particularly soothing with the repetition of “go row the boat”, drifting the song to a close.It’s Amidon’s vocals and finger-picking that carry the second half of I See The Sign into calmer territory; ‘Kedron’ is quietly delicate; ‘Rain and Snow’ pensively dark plotting its revenge on a troubling wife; and ‘Climbing High Mountains’ simple and charming before Amidon swaps guitar for banjo on R. Kelly’s ‘Relief’. Sam suggests the song lacks “any bearing on external reality”, seeming a rather fitting finale beside the aural delirium of ‘Red’ ”“ literal relief from the commotion surrounding the final award.The marriage of ageless simplicity and avant-garde modernity that Amidon and the Bedroom Community cohort manage on I See The Sign is simply stunning. It’s creators are aware of where invention and understatement are best placed - the result is 42 transcendent minutes.