Sometimes the impossible dream works out against all odds. In what feels like a lifetime ago, Samuel Jack sat down at a piano in the pub he worked at in England. From that first moment, it’s been a journey of learning, improving and wanting to make the most of every option. And now he’s an artist with hundreds of millions of streams, a viral international hit (‘Feels Like Summer’), and a whole new outlook on life, music and what success actually means. It’s a journey he documents with today’s release of his second album ‘One Last Dance In The Valley’. Listen HERE.
His influences are prevalent through the record, touching on Sam Cooke, BB King and Van Morrison. But its punchy, dynamic production roots in the present day, too. The new 60’s R&B influenced focus track, ‘Sweeter’, kicks off the album with aplomb, fusing classic soul and the rich, booming timber of Samuel’s voice with an addictive, pop-leaning groove.
The rest of the record unfolds, turning between irrepressible positive vibes – the brass-heavy ‘Tennessee’, exploring dub soul on ‘Easy To Me’, merging pop and gospel with ‘At The Higher Ground’, the devoted love of ‘Brighter Days’ – with moments of deeper introspection, such as ‘Where Would I Be Right Now?’ and ‘It’s a Mad Mad World’. There’s also a reprisal of ‘Feel’s Like Summer (…Again)’, this new version feeling in tune with the rest of the album’s stylistic approach without losing the joyousness of the original.
The most recent single ‘California Sun’ was accompanied with a live video showcasing further that Samuel’s voice is phenomenal. The song’s searing soul is powered by warm, organic live instrumentation and the full-spirited soul of his gritty vocal talent. It’s a song that captures the big dreams of Los Angeles life – but also one that can be a simmering summer soundtrack all over the globe.
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