This One Time, On Bandcamp: Samuel S Edward

Despite the advent of the internet as a means through which musicians can get their tunes out into the world (and despite the occasional involvement of Harts in doing so), it can be pretty hard to get noticed if you don't live in a major city.

Even though Bandcamp has provided us with, quite literally, a world of music to explore at our fingertips (by the way, we'll probably be casting our net wider in future instalments, just as a heads up), I've probably been a bit guilty of wilfully taking the easy road in terms of trawling through the "Melbourne", "Sydney" and "Brisbane" tags — but, to be fair, even the "Australia" tag, which I use just as much, is overwhelmingly sourced from those three state capitals. 

So, in an effort to be a part of the solution, we're taking things a bit further afield for this week's column, away from the smog and self-satisfaction of our concrete jungles to somewhere a little simpler, a little nicer... a little less prone to choking on its own filth.

Fasten your britches, city-slickers. We're heading to the country.

Samuel S. Edward — Warrnambool, Vic

Emerging from the seaside Victorian town is the stunning voice of one Samuel S. Edward, who brings with him a distinctly countrified, throwback brand of rock'n'roll that features vocal strains that frequently recall Wolf Parade co-frontman Dan Boeckner, if you're looking for a rock-solid comparison point.

This quality is most obvious on honky-tonk roller On The Top, which kicks off Edward's debut — and only — solo EP, Safe From Sound. The extended player was released earlier this month, and packs into six songs a fiercely assertive and indelibly infectious introduction. The talented muso not only provides the incredible vocals that ensnare the listener at the outset, but played all the instruments as well as tackling production and mixing duties. All musical endeavour is arguably a labour of love but, goddamn, did Edward give of himself for this one.

Of course, locals and seriously discerning listeners will already be familiar with the man's superior sound as being that of Sam Pyers, also known for his work as the frontman of local alt-rock trio Lemonbait. As Edward, though, he dabbles in far more vintage-tinged fare, skipping from the upturned snarl of the opening gambit to the delightfully gentle, downtempo 6/8 of Not Here, Not Now. It immediately shows Edward as being far more than a one-trick pony, capable of emotive restraint and delicacy of melody as much as howlin'-at-the-moon smokiness and mystique.

Favour returns to the more attitudinal vibes of the EP's first track, picking up over its final minute or so to paint itself as an apt candidate to score a climactic scene in a Tarantino film, and Wager once again pulls the tempo back for a soulful, organ-and-twang-laced lament. Meanwhile, Friend juxtaposes a rough, explosive chorus against the stealthy downward creep of its verses and proves itself a late-stage highlight to boot.

The EP's more-than-five-minute-long closing title track stands as a summation of all that has come before it, giving ample airtime to Edward's penchant for elegance without sacrificing any of the rural attitude that has been established over the course of the work.

His melancholy, mournful evocations come underpinned by undeniable strength, and help to cap off a debut release that comprehensively demonstrates that there's plenty of excellent music being made away from the inward focus of the cities. I'm sure there are plenty of you who are aware of that already — and will no doubt take the first opportunity to tell us as much — but it would probably do the rest of us all well to pay more attention to that fact.

Start here and now, and enjoy Safe From Sound.

Releases

Safe From Sound — EP, Nov 2016

Are you an independent artist? Got a Bandcamp page (y'know, because the title really doesn't work without it)?

Let us know if you want us to listen to your tunes, and you might get featured in a future edition of This One Time, On Bandcamp!