Amos Lee is back! Three years passed since his last album, Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song, which couldn’t match his highest accomplishments, Supply and Demand and Last Days at the Lodge. This time, things could get different, with the new record called Spirit.
It’s clear from the start that music here has a personal signature, listening to New Love you’ll immediately recognize Amos’ voice and his faithful guitar. Soul elements are also present, making the album opener a pleasant listen. The record continues strong with Running Out Of Time, a combination of folk melodies, soul singing, and funky beats, making you walking faster, jumping through the night while absorbing the positive energy of the song.
The music on this record clearly went through some refinement, giving it new elements, never before heard in Amos’ music. There’re lots of funk elements, soul is present in higher quantities, there are beats even, just listen to Vaporize, and you could think that the guy’s playing some sort of mix between soul and modern R 'n' B; the changes are nice, since tunes are capable of becoming part of your brain waves, making Spirit one hell of a strong record. Vaporize is the first pick when it comes to pushing the repeat button, but it’s not alone. Lost Child, Lightly, Hurt Me, Highways and Clouds will all be repeated at one point, along with the two songs mentioned before.
Other songs aren’t really fillers, but they just don’t have enough qualities needed to permanently gain a spot in the music part of the brain. Nevertheless, the album as a whole is masterfully crafted, much stronger than the last two offerings, bringing the glory days of Supply and Demand.
One huge recognition goes to production; it’s incredible, with majestic bass sound, and perfect vocal mix. Listen to Spirit on some quality headphones and you’ll hear what I’m talking about. It’s nice to see Amos returning to form after two relatively weak releases. Spirit is an excellent take on acoustic rock/folk genre, and Amos is (still) one of the most original singers/songwriters out there.
