Review of Sam Holmes Demo Album

Review of Sam Holmes Demo Album

Artist – Sam Holmes
Title – Sam Holmes
Rating – 4 stars

Cheltenham based singer/songwriter Sam Holmes self-titled demo CD features seven glorious tracks, which showcase her obvious talents and superior singer/songwriter qualities.

Breathe In is a fresh dreamy song, great to listen to on a hot summer’s day. Sam’s vocals are soft and delicate reminiscent in style of the highly talented pop/country artist Jewel. This is a catchy number, which is easy on the ear.

Charlie is a heartfelt song about seeing people for what and who they are and that sometimes you have to look beyond the mask that people wear everyday to hide their real selves and feelings to really see who a person is. This song is filled with emotion - ‘wiping the dirt from her face Charlie leaves no trace’ and is based on a lady Sam came across whilst on her travels abroad. This is not a particularly happy song but you can tell from the passion in Sam’s voice that this is a song not only written but performed from the heart. This song illustrates just how good a songwriter Sam Holmes is.

Falling Down is a slightly heavier song where Sam’s vocals take on a much stronger tone. This self penned song is carefully crafted and has a country/pop feel to it.

Fool For Love is a brilliant song that really stands out from the crowd. Whereas most of the songs on this demo CD are slow and full of atmosphere this is a catchy, quirky number. As a listener as soon as you hear this song you will want to jump up and start dancing or at least tapping your foot in time to the beat. Listening to this song I am reminded of country singer Sarah MacDougall combined with pop/folk singers Sandi Thom/K T Tunstall. The use of the organ on this particular track makes it stand out from the crowd and gives it a touch of eccentricity and added quirkiness. This song would make a fantastic single.

Solid Ground is a much slower number full of emotion. This song features some great lyrics – ‘I’ve had my hands in roses all day, it is ok to touch roses as long as they are thorn less’. The use of the cello gives this song an added dimension. Again Sam sounds very much like Jewel on this track.

Spaces is definitely a stand out track that allows Sam Holmes to show off another side to her musical talents. This song is full of angst, tender not over done, and passion. Sam’s vocals have a distinct rawness about them. As a listener I was drawn to the emotion you can hear in Sam’s voice as she sings this song.

Stories To Tell is a simple song full of emotion and delicate vocals. This song has a strong folk feel to it. Sam’s vocals take centre stage, never overshadowed by the backing music. This song floats gently along and is a fantastic choice of track to end this short collection on.

This collection of songs proves that Sam Holmes is one seriously talented lady who has a wonderfully delicate voice that can express love and emotion easily. Her songs are carefully crafted and full of tender emotive lyrics. Her songs are not over done allowing her vocals to shine. This is one lady who deserves to be played on radio stations and heard by the masses as her haunting melodies will appeal to old and young alike and to people who like all different types and styles of music. This is pure quality!