Sam Amidon - The Following Mountain review: ‘captivating arrangements and elegiac charm’

Performer: Sam Amidon
Kevin Winter/Getty
Andre Paine26 May 2017

Raised on Irish and Appalachian folk in Vermont, Sam Amidon went on to make several albums reworking traditional songs.

On his first record of original compositions, he draws on those influences as well as experiments with more challenging sounds and textures. The croaky cacophony of Ghosts is mildly alarming, though it’s nothing compared to the album’s 12-minute free jazz finale. Even late-night Radio 3 listeners might baulk at that.

But it’s worth persevering with The Following Mountain for its captivating arrangements and elegiac charm.

On Another Story Told, Amidon’s fiddle is sweetly mournful, while the twanging guitar and weary vocal of Blackbird suggests he’s channelling pure folk from a pre-technology era. When he does occasionally employ electronic beats, the results are just as intriguing.

New album: Sam Amidon's The Following Mountain

(Nonesuch)

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