Sam Outlaw strives for tenderness over toughness

Given Sam Outlaw's surname, some might surmise that he subscribes to country's macho strain. They would be wrong. "I always found more honesty in the tenderness than the toughness," the LA-based country singer told Rolling Stone. And his smouldering self-produced follow-up to his debut, Angeleno, reflects this outlook.

Outlaw's 21st-century take on So-Cal country shifts from the honky-tonk imaginary to the suburban real. The jaunty opening track, All My Life, relishes a happy-ever-after but Bottomless Mimosas quickly paints a darker picture of daily life. This yin and yang runs through the 13 tracks, anxiety constantly scratching at assurance, perhaps reaching apotheosis in the well-crafted centrepiece Everyone's Looking for a Home.

Outlaw’s understated nasal twang captures this ambivalence, where resignation and hope lie in wait around every corner. His is a measured and keenly observed world of consequence. Check him out.

[ samoutlaw.com ]