Genre: Folk/Roots Label: Own Best Track: Frequency
At a first listen the album Kairos by Sam Brookes can come across as quite dull, especially if one is listening to it halfheartedly through a streaming service. The way to get the full experience is to put it through your stereo or via earbuds. This is when the full scope of Brookes musical range and the depth of the production really becomes evident. Without a record label behind him Brookes has chosen to release this album on his own through the support of his fans and this may well be his breakthrough into the main stream, he has already been highlighted in Uncut. There is also little doubt that he will find great success out there. He may very well be the next Ryan Adams or to a lesser extent a more successful Shawn Mullins. Brookes’ music and lyrics are mature and heartfelt; it transports the listener to another place or plane. A dark and ambient wilderness where man and nature battle for control except man may never win since nature in this place is a reflection of the inner being of him. There is sense of storytelling, just not on a lyrical level, it’s the music and feeling one gets from the production that tells the tale. The music is a blend of soft folk with a tinge of roots, it is quite obvious that Brookes is influenced by the darker side of both these genres and the blending turns it into something that is truly his own. It feels as if T-bone Burnett himself produced this album for the TV show True Detective, it would fit very well, slow moving, deep and filled with sorrow and broken people. Before you decide to listen to Kairos, make sure you have the time to sit down, put the earbuds in and really listen. You will be glad you did.
C.M. Marry Hultman
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