By Scott Bampton
Released on Ruf Records on November 3rd, Belle of the West is Samantha Fish’s second full-length release within eight months, and her sixth since debuting in 2009.
That impressive output is testament to Fish’s tenacity and bafflingly robust work ethic. As Fish herself puts it: “Music is my life, so what other choice do I have but to go out and make music? We do tour quite a bit and I do make a lot of albums, and maybe it’s kind of crazy to put out two dramatically different albums in one year. But I like to work hard. This is who I am and this is what I do…”
Ironically, that frantic schedule is totally inaudible on Belle of the West – as laid back a record as you’re likely to hear this year. And Fish is certainly right about the album sounding markedly different to previous release Chills & Fever. While that record encompassed rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, soul, pop, and even doo-wop, her new album is a total sonic departure; Belle of the West is a more focused, straightforward effort, meshing two primary genres – namely southern blues and western country. If you had to point to the album’s gravitational center on a map, it would be somewhere between Mississippi and Arkansas. In fact, on “Daughters”, the lyrics even reference the latter state by name. It’s a beautifully mournful ditty, with a booming drum line playing off forlorn instrumental melodies, courtesy of moaning violins and a dampened stage piano.
But the real star of the song – and the album in general – is Fish’s stunning and versatile vocals. With a range as epic as a deep south mountain trail, her husky tone and lyrical frankness combine for something quite special. While her gravelly snarl created an Amy Winehouse-like sound on the jazz-influenced Chills and Fever, Fish adds a level of restraint and a country-blues twang to her vocals on this record. The only reason the result stops short of the “once-in-a-generation” tag is the fact that Samantha Fish remains surprisingly underrated–despite critical and commercial acclaim within blues spheres. Fish deserves more. If her performance on Belle of the West is any benchmark, greater recognition from mainstream tastemakers may not be far away.
Listen to the title track, “Belle of the West” here:
Producer, Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars fame) has done an outstanding job of making Belle of the West sound – and feel – organic and honest. Stripped back instrumentation, minimal use of reverb, and leaving in moments of between-track banter from Fish’s band mates all enhance the album’s intimacy; it’s not hard to imagine the band recording each song around a campfire before saddling up and moving on.
For example, the driving acoustic rhythms of “Need You More” give the melancholy ballad a “wagons rolling” ambience – as if the lyrics’ protagonist has been forced regretfully onto the trail for new pastures.
In fact, Fish seems to brush all the points of the Americana compass at multiple points on the album. On the Jimbo Mathus-penned title track “Belle of the West”, you’re taking a journey with Fish on a packet steamer down the Vermillion River. Then, you’re camping out with her in the Appalachians on original track, “Blood in the Water.” Complete with percussive acoustic guitars, fiddle and tin whistle, it’s easy to imagine the simultaneously bone-chilling and heartwarming chorus echoing around the Coosa Valley during the civil war.
Put simply, Belle of the West is more than an album. It’s a journey. Its lyrics all speak of moving on and reaching somewhere new, perfectly symbolizing Fish’s own growth and ambition as an artist. So, if you’ve not yet hitched a ride on the Samantha Fish bandwagon, get on board – because it’s going places.
To pre-order Belle of the West, see here https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/belle-of-the-west-samantha-fish/31539301?ean=0710347124825
Website: http://www.samanthafish.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samanthafishmusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HsS48kuvghKcNpwOaAvB5
Awesome will be putting this on my phone
Larry,
Awesome. Thanks for letting us know.
Intrigued and impressed…I’m sorry i missed the recent Atlanta show….
Love this lady ..! You Rock Sam..!!
Been following her since she started with “Girls with Guitars” tour.. I didn’t love “Chills and Fever”, I miss the power trio she used to play As, but I will be checking this out! She has constantly evolved and grown as an artist, and she works her tail off!
Yeah the 3 piece is way better than any other stuff she has done, especially with Go Go Ray
I agree with Phillip. Bring back Go Go Ray and the power trio. I was hooked on Sam because of her guitar work. Her vocals were ok, but her guitar is what made me a fan. I played Chills and Fever once, and never came back to it. Hearing the title track of this new release, and after reading the reviews, I won’t bother with this next one. Bring back our balls to the walls Samantha.
it was samantha’s hard rockin ways that first got my attention. the power trio were an awesome band live. i feel very fortunate to have seen them. ( and met them ). at first i was not overly fond of chills and fever, but i grew to like it and after seeing the new band live i have a better appreciation of the album. sam is so powerful live. four times i have seen samantha live and she always gives a powerful performance. i think this album is going to be awesome, can’t wait to get my hands on it. i will continue to to support this artist no matter what musical direction she takes.
Timmy,
Thanks for your comment and all the info you provided. Samantha Fish is such a talented musician and singer. We appreciate all the directions she goes in. Thanks for the info on seeing her live.
Not sure where these comments are coming from. I just saw her at The Kate in Old Saybrook Ct, where she played most of her new material and was just blown away by her performance. She is maturing and growing as an artist and we as fans need to appreciate where this girl is going. How she plays guitar, sing and perform at such a crazy level, all on stiletto heels,, is just amazing.
Paul from Ct
Not sure where these comments are coming from. I just saw her at The Kate in Old Saybrook Ct, where she played most of her new material and was just blown away by her performance. She is maturing and growing as an artist and we as fans need to appreciate where this girl is going. How she plays guitar, sing and perform at such a crazy level, all on stiletto heels,, is just amazing.
Paul from Ct
Paul, just saying I prefer the three piece doesn’t mean I don’t like her and won’t be seeing her if I get a chance and am looking to buy this album
I couldn’t agree more that Samantha Fish is underrated, and clearly “deserves more.” I never heard of her until about 3 months ago but have had the good fortune to see her twice in that time. Her live shows are as good or better than artists with ten times her fame and experience. I have only seen her “power trio” on YouTube but her larger band (which still includes bass player Chris Alexander) is at least as good and in my opinion offers her a lot more options musically. I’ve also seen people take exception to the fact that her most recent album is a departure from the scorching, rock/blues guitar playing that helped her draw such a loyal, passionate following. However, there’s still a bit of that (and a lot of that in her live shows) and if someone is this good at so many things, why shouldn’t she stretch out to do all of them? She can sing, play lead, play rhythm, and play acoustic with equal expertise. It’s a different era, genre, style, and genre, but in that regard she reminds me of Terry Kath. She is crazy talented.
Harris,
Thank you for your comment. We agree that Samantha Fish is incredibly talented, and good at so many things. We love her music. Her live performances are outstanding.
Watching an artist grow as they age is an awesome and welcoming thing for me. As listeners and fans we need to grow too, expand our musical taste. I applaud Miss Fish for having the guts to put out different kinds music no mater what her fans expect. The fact is she is putting faith in her fans that they too will grow musically.