Delicate and thoroughly engaging, Will Samson's latest ambient LP, Songs of Beginning & Belonging, takes the listener's hand and softly leads them on a tale inward to their quiet spaces, memories, thoughts, and dreams.
Like an electronic representation of chamber music playing the score to one's life, Songs of Beginning & Belonging feels familiar and hopeful all while still being new and challenging one to think back on the past. However, while most pieces tend to have their reminiscing lean toward rumination, Samson's latest is bright and optimistic, leading the listener toward core memories, warm smiles, bright eyes, and sunshine filled spaces. Beginning's may not always be remembered well, but belonging certainly will, and especially in these difficult, lonely times, being seen, understood, and treated as one that matters forms a luminous core that helps to combat the darkness and keeps us moving forward.
A shorter LP by most standards, Songs of Beginning & Belonging makes the absolute most of its time, packing each minute with sweet and indulgent tones, giving the listener something to hold onto and float away with, but never overloading the frequencies or packing in too much information. Allowing the tones, drones, and synthetic instrumentation to work on its own, Samson gives the feeling of space and breath, but keeps Songs from being minimal and weak. Conversely, it's the illusion of sparseness that gives the album its strength; utilizing the emotions and memories of the listener, the bright arrangements and tones conjure a familiarity with the music and allows thoughts to play in the droning, ambient "spaces" Samson strategically leaves for moments like these. Songs of Beginning & Belonging feels closer to ambient pop than typical soundscape-esque ambient works, and that's by design. As Samson says, "I never understood why it was often necessary to present myself with a clearly defined label. Through music, I always aim to feel free". And there is clearly a freedom present in Songs, with its slow amble and deliberate arrangement, one can definitely see it stopping to smell the roses, touch the low hanging leaves, and spend a moment in the sun. This freedom comes up again with Samson with Songs in particular: “This album is about freeing myself from old wounds and starting fresh and light. Where much of my previous albums have been about home and/or belonging, I now feel settled in ways I haven’t ever done before.” With that in mind, one can see this sunshine, light, and comfort as not just a place of warm memories, but the feeling of something new and exciting; coming out of the darkness and into a new, warm space, enjoying all the fresh sights, sounds, and textures. The road that leads to belonging has a start, and that is the best beginning of all.
Will Samson's
Songs of Beginning & Belonging opens up the listener to warm, vivid thoughts of the past, present, and future; thoughts of hope, love, friendship, and oneness bubble up and keep spirits high and memories fond. For me, waking up to shovel cars out of the driveway was transformed into looking at the snow drifts, feeling the fondness I had for them as a child, playing with my brothers, the warm sun on my face as the flakes of snow melt on my ruddy cheeks. Music can shape and change your perspective and
Songs of Beginning & Belonging moves them in an uplifting direction, reminding us that through it all, there are amazing memories, beautiful things happening, and more wonderful times to come. For
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