Serious Sam Barrett - The Seeds of Love

 

I was happy to have another chance to see Serious Sam Barrett play, after being highly impressed with his set opening for the Pine Hill Haints a few years back and his album, Sometimes You've Got To Lose, so I had to pick up another record of his this time out, along with the fine album he did with James the Fang. This record is based on a book that Sam's wife found called "The Seeds of Love", published by the English Folk Music and Dance Society, in which Sam either performed the songs with traditional melodies or made up new tunes for the words in the book. This album he considers to be a "proper folk record" made up of love songs, be they "tragic, misguided, unrequited or true". 

Sam accompanies his clear, tuneful voice with banjo'n'guitar, and, on occasion, sings acapella, and the recording is well done and crisp and he sounds like he is in a room or intimate club playing for you. The music does all sound traditional, in general, and the melodies are lovely. Sam includes a homemade booklet explaining his variations on the themes from the original book, and tells a bit of the story and whatever he does to switch it up. 

Another great acoustic record and again, majorly recommended! Seek it out and see him whenever you can!