‘Concrete and Mud’ is the third album to be released by Houston native Sam Morrow, in which the listener is treated to a heady mix of classic southern rock, country, funk, and political insight.
Openers ‘Heartbreak Man’ and ‘Paid By The Mile’ are classic foot-stompers that are cleverly blended with some very fine funky grooves and heavy guitar. Both songs give the listener the somewhat less romantic and more realised version of the life of a traveling, working musician on the road. ‘Heartbreak Man’, in particular, shows how a traveling musician will win over the hearts of his fans only to break them by moving on again, while Paid By The Mile’ reflects the weariness of constant touring and the associated costs.
The slower ‘Coming Home’, ‘San Fernando Sunshine’ and ‘Mississippi River’ are songs that show a mellower side to Morrow’s work while retaining the feel of a wandering troubadour yearning for home, loved ones, and places.
Another highlight is the politically charged rocker ‘Good Ole Days’ in which Morrow takes a well-aimed shot across the bows of the misguided views of the ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign and on this side of the Atlantic the hard-line Brexiters who used rose-tinted nostalgia and to sell lies and untruths to further their own ambitions. The song cleverly highlights the social and racial divisions and double standards of the eras that those snake oil salesmen masquerading as politicians peddled to their misguided voters.
One of the stand out tracks on the album is ‘The Weight Of A Stone’. A dark and brooding journey through soundscapes and landscapes filled with vivid imagery and distorted guitars.
In ‘Concrete and Mud’, Morrow has delivered a heavier more thoughtful album than his previous releases that still remains listenable and accessible to the listener. He has cleverly sourced various genres of American music and blended them together with insightful lyrics that take a clever look at past and contemporary events that in the end shape all our lives.
‘Concrete and Mud’ is released on 27th April 2018 on Forty Below Records.