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Silver Horizon sounds like nothing Sam Carter has made before. As subtle as it is adventurous and finely nuanced, it’s an excellent album and a career-high for Sam.
Fingerstyle guitar whiz and songsmith Sam Carter’s 2020 album Home Waters was a return to a more acoustic folk sound after the scuzzy and muscular moments of How the City Sings, a concept album adopting some of the characteristics of his False Lights project with Jim Moray. Sam veers off again for Silver Horizon, seemingly content with and confident enough to change his style as he sees fit. The electric guitar is at the core of Silver Horizon, but the sound is mostly clean, sharp and minimalist, bringing to mind bands like Low and even albums like the recent Outliers by Jenny Sturgeon and Boo Hewerdine.
Sam and co-producer Andy Bell have clearly decided to allow plenty of space into the music, which suits the clear and bright timbre of Sam’s voice well and plays into the sense of isolation he began exploring after the pandemic and after the release of Home Waters. To capture this, Sam and Andy went to the remote Red Kite Studios on the west side of the Brecon Beacons to record eleven songs, all interested in some way by a sense of change.
With this in mind, the album’s overall sound is an inspired decision, and this is, without doubt, Sam’s most focused and confident sounding set yet. Boxes & Bags is a good case in point, with a super-lightly distorted electric guitar line and the subtlest of bass parts from Ben Nicholls framing the song’s first half, before Ben allows himself a few more fun notes in the second half. Evan Jenkins’ drums are also measured, as are Ian Stephenson’s splendid harmonium and Rowan Rheingans’ lovely backing vocals. The music is elegant and reserved, but there is prowess there, hiding in plain sight, happy to support the song.
If You Set Me Free is another one that jumps out. A bold and unnerving piece tackling the complexities of Stockholm syndrome, its music is sparse yet sinuous, with drums that echo through the ear, interspersed bass notes (very effective) that rattle and buzz and a slow, note-bending guitar part that all bring a seedy mood to a slightly eerie song that reminded me, quite unexpectedly, of newer Arctic Monkeys material in its musical style.
Far more innocent in feel and structure is Simpler Days, a song built on a shimmering guitar line and an airy, brushed drum beat. Also bright is We’re Still Here, an acoustic guitar-led duet with Rowan that boasts a cool bass part and some lovely picking on the higher strings. It’s a very pretty song, using hiking outdoors as a metaphor for adversity, and ultimately celebrates the positives of life and companionship.
Another highlight is album closer Sights Beyond the Sky, a beautifully weighted ode to the life-expanding power of love and relationships. Featuring additional guitar from Stuart McCallum (who appears on several tracks) , it begins with a complex, picked guitar pattern, a slow drum beat and bass notes come in to create a roomy soundscape that is accentuated by sparkles of higher guitar notes. It is a fitting arrangement to the song and quietly clever in its ability to be both tightly played and loose in structure, again demonstrating the creativity and musical prowess present. This is a collection of songs that isn’t afraid to tackle some big themes. Life, death, love, loss and obsession are considered, written about sharply and intelligently, and put to music that is keen to leave space where it is needed and let a more minimalist set of arrangements carry the piece.
In many ways, this feels like a significant step forward for Sam; Silver Horizon is a finely balanced album that demonstrates dynamic and intuitive music, and it sounds like nothing he has made before, but also a perfect fit for these songs. It is a grown-up set put to music that is as subtle as it is adventurous and finely nuanced. An excellent album of songs and performances, Silver Horizon is a career-high for Sam.
Silver Horizon (16th August 2024) Captain Records
Pre-Order via Bandcamp: https://samcarter.bandcamp.com/
Sam Carter Silver Horizon Album Launch Tour Dates
Sunday 22nd September – Norwich Arts Centre • Solo
Thursday 3rd October – The Greystones, Sheffield • with Rowan Rheingans
Friday 4th October – Kings Place, London • with Ben Nicholls and Evan Jenkins
Saturday 5th October – The Annunciation Ballroom, Brighton • Solo
Wednesday 9th October – Birmingham Symphony Hall • Solo
Saturday 12th October – Derby Folk Weekend • with Stuart McCallum
Sunday 13th October – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall • with Stuart McCallum
Friday 25th October – St George’s, Bristol • with Ben Nicholls (Streamed live from St George’s, Bristol • livetoyourlivingroom.com)
Friday 1st November – Otford Memorial Hall, Kent • with Ben Nicholls and Evan Jenkins
Ticket links and more details can be found here: https://samcartermusic.co.uk/gigs/
Sam is also performing at FolkEast Festival (Fri 16th – Sun 18th Aug 2024).
