CD Review – Samantha Crain “Kid Face”
Twenty-six year old, Shawnee, OK songwriter Samantha Crain hits a home run with Kid Face. This collection of eleven beautiful and thoughtful songs crafted by a gifted musician underscores both Crain’s considerable skill as a lyricist and her uniquely lovely voice. An admirer of John Vanderslice’s production work on albums by Spoon and The Mountain Goats, Crain sought him out for this project, recording at his San Francisco studio.
Hooking the listener from the start with the uptempo, percussive tune “Never Going Back”, Crain sings hopefully about finally moving on from a capricious relationship: “This horse that kicked me in the heart/Then asked me if I want another start or ride/He leaves me thirsty, leaves me dim/I’m lookin’ at a picture of him and his bride/Oh, I’m never going back.” The album continues in a more melancholy, but no less engaging, vein, including tracks like “For The Miner”, a haunting tune Crain wrote in response to two songs by musician Jason Molina. “Did you get used to it? Or are you still up with the demons all night?” she queries sympathetically. Crain describes the album as autobiographical, and her exquisite vocals with their pleasing blend of roots and indie-pop are perfectly suited to the memorable stories she weaves on this promising disc.
– With permission from Currentland.
(Ramseur Records 2/19/2013)