Animal is a recent release from UK based singer-songwriter/rock band, Samh. It was released in March, just before the pandemic began to engulf everything. This stunted the song’s momentum a bit, but now this indie gem is finally starting to get the attention and recognition it deserves. The simplest way to describe Animal is that it blends folk with psychedelia. The sound reminds me of the 60’s group, The Pretty Things, in the way that it builds and transitions from a sentimental, minimalist style to high energy psychedelic rock. It does this in a very artistically effective way. If you were to just hear the first couple minutes of this jam, you’d have no idea how hard the second half rocks, but when as the song progresses, it will make sense. In true psychedelic fashion, this track clocks in at nearly 7 minutes long. Impressively, Samh maintains the performance level and intensity throughout, even within what is a fairly complex songwriting structure. The vocals and ambiance have a very organic and “Earthy” quality. There’s an appreciation for nature, humility and the unknown.

There is also a second song on this release, titled Ballsack (Just Like Me and You They Don’t Know What They’re Doing) which actually defies traditional categorization. It contains experimental elements of alternative, lounge, psychedelic and maybe even a touch of soul. It almost sounds like a vintage live record. Broadly speaking, this is great stuff. This is honestly what indie is supposed to be all about.

For more info:

https://samh.bandcamp.com/album/animal
https://www.facebook.com/samh.song/