Over the years, Australia has given us a host of legendary bands from the Bee Gees to AC/DC. More recently, they’ve produced such gems as Miami Horror, Kimbra, and Tame Impala. Amongst these new-age musical talents is Melbourne native, Sam Lawrence. He’s been a figure in the Melbourne music scene for years and has forged collaborations with both Kimbra and Miami Horror as well as with a host of other local artists. Now Lawrence is preparing to drop an album called ‘Rheo- I Flow Away’ and has been putting out live performance videos of some of the songs from the album on YouTube.
Lawrence is an incredibly talented musician accomplished at guitar, piano, and vocals in a way that many musicians can only aspire to be. This innate musicality has lent itself well to his songwriting and makes for a style that is at once complex and intuitive. Though some of his songs may initially feel inaccessible to untrained ears, as a musician, I have developed a strong appreciation for Lawrence’s songs and am writing this article to share my love for his unique musical style with all of you.
Instrumentally, his choices are unprecedented. He uses a wide variety of chord voicings that are much more difficult to process than the average major or minor chord, forcing his audience to listen closer to what he’s doing. His unexpected chord progressions never allow listeners to let their guard down as he weaves strange vocal melodies around chords whose complexity makes them challenging to accommodate vocally. This tactic gives his songs a certain ambience and otherworldliness. His voice evokes a combination of Kevin Parker’s dreamy falsetto and Townes Van Zandt’s soulful, folk style. He is clearly a highly capable vocalist and casually displays this through his fluctuating melodies, never resting on any one note for too long and constantly searching for the next one in its key to transform what could be a straightforward vocal lick into a strange, modulating labyrinth of notes.
His instrumental mastery rivals his vocal prowess, though the two go hand in hand in the live videos of his recent songs. Initially recognized for his skill as a pianist through songs like Kimbra’s ‘Wandering Limbs’ in which he’s featured, Lawrence surprises listeners by playing acoustic guitar in his new songs. The decision to do so lends an earthy quality to the songs that would be difficult to accomplish with a piano or keyboard and is a wise choice for songs that are meant to be quasi-celebratory hymns. Not surprisingly, he is also an insanely talented guitarist. His knowledge of piano theory and chord formations help him to make unconventional yet informed choices on the guitar that add incredible emotion and depth to his music. Having this dual-instrumentality is a distinct advantage when creating music that both surprises and intrigues listeners, and that’s precisely the effect of his recently released songs.
Below is my personal favorite of his new songs and an excellent example of all the qualities I’ve discussed. Though his music is complex and at times unorthodox, I think it can touch the hearts of a lot of people. You don’t have to be a musician to appreciate Lawrence’s songs, but I hope this analysis helps you to form a better understanding of his general stylistic choices. Check out more of his music by following the link to his YouTube channel below and prepare to cry tears of every emotion on the spectrum.
Sam Lawrence YouTube channel
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