Many artists become inspired by being in New York City and eventually record their “New York” album. But for Sam Evian (aka Sam Owens), leaving NYC was the inspiration for his third album Time to Melt, his first for Fat Possum Records. Evian is in his element when he is combining multiple genres to create his own sound. Time to Melt is an excellent representation of this.
The first few seconds of album opener “Freezee Pops” evokes Elliott Smith with its acoustic guitar tone before launching into a hybrid of electronic and conventional instrumentation that immediately sounds more like Zero 7 than songwriting legend Elliott Smith. “Easy to Love” finds Evian reflecting on the pleasures of live life outside of the big city and uses fuzzy guitars and brass section that sounds inspired by White Album era Beatles. The albums titular track incorporates wobbly guitar sounds layered together with tripped out synth sounds that could be at home on an Air album. A standout track on the album is “Sunshine” with its 70s funk beat and reverb laden synths and Theremin. It serves to create a track that sounds both timeless and new at the same time. The album’s closing track “Around it Goes” takes the melody from earlier track “Dream Free” but incorporates a free-flowing jazz element to it as voice messages of people to their loved ones during COVID isolation are played over the music.
All in all, Time to Melt seems both all over the and cohesive at the same time. The genre switches can seem abrupt in places, however the album as a whole is held together with a string of similar electronic sounds as well as “Around it Goes” serving as a reprise to early track “Dream Free”. Evian has succeeded in creating a layered album that reveals more and more on repeated listens both instrumentally and lyrically.
Photo Credit: Josh Goleman
