Nashville TV show star and British musician Sam Palladio tempts us with 11 songs in his debut album, released today.
“The idea of making my own album had been gnawing and knocking and banging at the back of my mind for the most of my life,” says Palladio, since filming wrapped on the iconic music-based show Nashville, that shot him to fame.
There are some very decent songs presented here, largely featuring US geography. ‘Meanwhile in London’, is a piano-based ballad that reflects on the agony of a long-distance relationship, as Palladio has with American singer Cassadee Pope. ‘Tennessee’ features Foo Fighter’s long-time guitarist Chris Shiflett and is comfortably upbeat; even before hearing this I knew it was going to be good. ‘Wake Me Up in Nashville' completes the three strongest tracks on the TPSDBWLTL album, erring on the folky side of country, with a rise in melody a couple of minutes in. All three songs have a late ‘90s California pop edged sound.
The album title, though long, sits on the lyrics for ‘Something On My Mind’ which is a beautiful homage to Palladio’s Mum, Sally, who passed away suddenly in 2018. With the horn and piano sound, the song could have been performed by ‘60s music legend Frankie Vali.
Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum of music are ‘SMF’ (I won’t repeat the lyrics here) and ‘B.O.A.T’. It’s safe to say that these songs make the least sense in the album’s eleven tracks, and that Palladio should perhaps stay away from acronyms in the future. They disturb an otherwise pretty good first album, if a little too pop-country for my taste.
‘Spill Your Heart’ and ‘Gone Like the Summer’ sit back-to-back in the middle of the album, and work quite well, again with a slight ‘60s tinge for ‘Heart’ and the ‘90s pop-grunge feel of the end of a relationship.
Overall, there’s several pretty good songs, real, relatable and with an upbeat rhythm. These draw you in, but like polar magnets, there’s a third of the album that just doesn’t engage me in their music or lyrics. With more of a pop-country music sound, across the decades, this album seems to have gotten a little carried away with itself and may have benefitted from a little clearer editing, for a cohesive set of songs.
Track list: 1. Meanwhile In London 2. Tennessee (feat. Chris Shiflett) 3. Tears In A Carpark 4. Something On My Mind 5. Spill Your Heart (feat. Simon Neil) 6. Gone Like The Summer 7. SMF 8. B.O.A.T 9. Bullet for Your Love 10. Jenni 11. Wake Me Up In Nashville Record label: Battery Rocks, LLC Release date: 13th September 2024 Buy ‘The Perfect Summer's Day, Before We Lost The Light' now
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Catch Sam on tour at the following dates:
SEPTEMBER
22nd – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
23rd – Glasgow, King Tuts
24th – Manchester, Band On The Wall
27th – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2
30th – London, Omeara
Get tickets at sampalladio.co.uk/tour.
