Samuel Wilbur – The Age
The first impression I got from listening to this interesting basic pop song CD is how crafty & squeaky-clean Samuel Wilbur’s showcase is – with the help of synths, he recreates the indomitable strings & backup vocalizing that were once favorable to 60s Liberty & Cameo Records artists such as Bobby Rydell (“Forget Him” & “Sway”), Bobby Vee (“Walkin’ With My Angel,” “Run To Him”) & other singers who despite the lack of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame considerations were excellent vocalists & stylists with many top 25 hits pre-Beatles.
What do we have? A young singer who says he’s influenced by some of the more contemporary vocalists of today (Wilco, Elliott Smith) but in actuality the “arrangement” style whiplashes back to the early 60s pop songs that were not sugary but well-developed catchy melodic & exceptionally arranged pieces of sophisticated music.
An older person will hear it instantaneously particularly in “The Age,” & “Bright Lights.” Both grip the reins tightly of sinewy songs with presence. Sam has a good voice. Confident & warm. He’s preserving a tradition that should never have gone out of style. And what’s prominent is that he doesn’t let any of his tunes sound dated.
Minneapolis-based Samuel Wilbur (guitar/bass/piano/organ/vocals/synth/ukelele) who also produced & recorded the tunes at his home studio may add tints of politics, climate stabs, living in a modern-day America of which some tunes are delightfully accurate & others ride the rumble strip. No matter. That aside, the performances are all performed, sung with sincerity as they unspool deliciously on each cut of The Age (Drops Jan 12–Independent/47:00).
“South Carolina,” & “Promise,” with their fortified backup vocals that even made Rydell’s records snap when heard on the radio make these superb. The CD is a collaborative effort & though this is your typical independent effort the production sonics are captured vividly.
Stepping away from the pop stylization “Karen,” features Rachel Kenney in a more Americana manner with banjo, snappy snare beats & it drives, drives, drives. Wilbur certainly has a rich commercial-mainstream voice that isn’t necessarily sweetened as many of today’s voices are or valium induced in others.
The addition of the young women in these songs fleshes everything out since their voices are always a nice contrast to Sam’s. Lots to like here. Not bad for a full-time high school social studies teacher who moonlights as a rock singer. He gets a well-earned A.
Highlights – “The Age,” “Bright Lights,” “South Carolina,” “Karen,” “Underneath Us,” (with Dani Michaele), “Good On Paper,” (with Katie Burton), nice trumpets on “Take My Hand,” (with Dani) & “Promise.”
Musicians – Sam Hall & Bob Beahen (drums), Matt Patrick (mellotron/Hammond organ/bass/Fender Rhodes/synthesizer/piano), Bryan Highhill (trumpet/organ), Laura Kiernan & Jon Offerdahl (vocals).
Color image courtesy: Josh Becker. CD @ https://www.samuelwilbur.com/ & song samples @ https://samuelwilbur.bandcamp.com/album/the-age
