Blue Note (label)
07 February 2011 (released)
21 February 2011
Amos Lee has been quietly getting on with his trade over the last five or six years, ploughing a mildly successful niche for himself. Until this latest album that is. Out of the blue, it debuted at number one in the United States, despite Lee not having previously managed even a brief top 20 placing.
Quite where this higher profile success has come from is unclear. Sure, his songs have appeared more and more often in US TV programmes, but nothing seems to have significantly changed in his profile since his last two albums. Having said that, this is a quality collection of songs, fully deserving of wider recognition.
Amos Lee can be most lazily described as a male Norah Jones, and those ill-researched comparisons come from the pair being on the same label, Blue Note. But while there certainly are some vague similarities, Amos Lee is if anything more laid back (if that’s possible) and folky.
Each song here is crafted superbly and there is rich reward with further listening. ‘Violin’ and ‘Stay With Me’ seduce you with summer melodies and rich textures. That seasonal tone is also present in the gorgeous ‘Windows Are Rolled Down’, a perfect accompaniment to a July evening drive.
There’s variation in the touch of gospel splashed across ‘Flower’, while ‘Jesus’ and ‘Out of the Cold’ have a darker and more menacing feel. The latter’s lyrics hinting at loss; “looking at the pictures up on the shelf, he feels a mirror shadow of himself, 22 years still he feels so old.”
There are guest slots from country legends Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson, although neither track quite matches the more accessible tracks, of which ‘Hello Again’ is the most outstanding. A simple song about love and loss, it’s a stunning demonstration of everything Amos Lee does so well. It sees Lee’s voice in its richest and best form, as he sings about “wonderwalls” over a lush brass filling.
Until now Amos Lee has had a small but loyal UK fanbase, as a sell-out gig at the Union Chapel demonstrates, but this collection could and should see that audience grow.
