Samuel Rollins is a moniker for the music of Chicago native Sam Smith. His music can be categorized as several different genres, but I’d say that this promising singer/songwriter’s work reminds me most of chamber pop. A large part of this is due to Smith’s deft piano playing as well as collaborating with various different instrumentalists to add texture to his songs. Mallets, acoustic guitars, horns, strings-- you name it, and Samuel Rollins can play it.
His 2022 debut, Seasons Change, is a lounge-y nine-track effort characterized by experimentation and occasional baroque sensibilities. Influences such as John Cale and fellow Chicagoland area indie musicians, Wilco, are cited. Smith says, “The bulk of the album was recorded at Picture-Minded Studio in Oak Park, IL. The rest was recorded at Smith’s house or Oleander Records and Studio.” Mixing and mastering was done by Max DiFrisco and Ben Kremer of Picture-Minded Studio. Part of what makes an album so worthwhile is when it is bookended by two phenomenal tracks. In this case, Seasons Change is led by a rather Pink Floydian piece called “In Tow/Fleeting Memory” and concludes with the shoegaze shimmer of “Chateau.” The mix of piano and crooning falsetto on the first track gives me strong notes of “X&Y” by Coldplay, specifically its chorus. The following track, “St. Petersburg,” begins with the lovely sound of birds chirping and is reminiscent of Burt Bacharach’s music. I think it’s the flute that helps to solidify this, but really, everything about this is orchestral chamber pop at its core. The captivating mix of orchestral pop and progressive rock continues to pay off with somber songs like “Weary Traveler” and “Coming of Winter.” The first of two bright instrumentals, “Magnolia,” is immediate and upbeat. This arrangement in particular is colored by all sorts of drum patterns, horns, piano, and the occasional twinkle of a xylophone. Meanwhile, “Peach Tree Dance,” while still major-key, is a laid-back Hawaiian luau of a composition. “Your [sic] like the frozen tundra to me / Sentenced to silence” goes track seven, which is simply titled “Trouble.” Instrumentally speaking, this just may be the album’s most back-to-basics moment, and it transitions beautifully into the title track and second instrumental, a gorgeous piano piece placing the spotlight on Roz Beile’s trumpet playing. I’ve already stated that “Chateau” is like a shoegaze song, but the more I listen to it, the more I get the feeling that Samuel Rollins would sound really good going in this lane. Its words are spare, only amounting to eight lines. Lyrically, less is more, and the fact that the swelling guitars and synths remind me of “Sandpit” by Curve (one of my favorite acts) is enough to give me chills each time. Like most moments on Seasons Change, it’s all about the variety of different sounds and the beauty that they help to create. One listen wasn’t enough. I had to play this amazing album again and again! I strongly recommend this magical first offering from Samuel Rollins.
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