Sam Outlaw - Tenderheart (14/04/17)
- Artist: Sam Outlaw
- Genre: Country Rock
- Release Date: 14th April, 2014
- Record Label: Six Shooter Records
- Tracks: 13
- Website: http://www.samoutlaw.com
"There's a tender heart beating for you..."
Cynicism comes easy, but having a soft heart takes real guts. Sam Outlaw's new album 'Tenderheart' dares to tread gently and look inward, with unapologetic sentiment and nods to country music's greatest neon rainbow chasers.
Since the release of his 2015 debut 'Angeleno', Sam Outlaw remains one of LA's only modern country singers to earn international acclaim. And with his follow-up 'Tenderheart' he shows an impressive refinement of his artistic identity. Sonically, the album further elaborates Outlaw's "SoCal Country" sound: a sun-bleached, Baja-influenced twang that deftly points to country's neo-traditionalists and LA's legendary singer-songwriters. Thematically 'Tenderheart' is a thesis on self-discovery and the power of love - a course set with the opening chords of "Everyone's Looking For Home." The opening track is a cinematic, mariachi-laced meditation on Outlaw's own conflicted quest for peace among the chaos of his chosen path.
Over the course of these thirteen songs it becomes increasingly apparent why his clever intertwining of country tropes and crisp modernism has so impressed country music fans, critics and songwriters alike. (Alt-country pioneer Ryan Adams just recently praised Outlaw, calling his work "beyond great songwriting".)
Not one to mess with a winning combination, Sam called on many of the same musicians that made 'Angeleno' such a success: harmony singer Molly Jenson, pedal steel pro Jeremy Long and guitarist Danny Garcia, along with Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket). Produced by Martin Pradler and Outlaw and recorded in the San Fernando Valley, 'Tenderheart' also features Erwin Vasquez and Mariachi Teocuitatlan, a local mariachi group who appeared in the video for 'Angeleno's' title track.
Now two years into his new life, Outlaw has learned that great dreams can only be achieved at great cost. And at its core, 'Tenderheart; is the outcome of another lesson learned: if your heart stays true, the sacrifice is worth it.