Sam Outlaw - Popular Mechanics (Album Review)
The press release that accompanied ‘Popular Mechanics’ referenced Kenny Loggins, Tom Petty and Cyndi Lauper, all acts that have a home in my collection, so I was intrigued to hear what exactly Sam Outlaw had in mind on his new album. Listeners familiar with Outlaw and his impressive back catalogue might find the mention of Cyndi a tad incongruous as his previous records had received positive reviews for their take on the southern California country sound. As it turned out, I was pleased to find Outlaw might have taken a left turn, but he was far from lost.
Sam Outlaw spent two years honing the sound he now presents on ‘Popular Mechanics’ reaching back into his archive to a bunch of songs he’d originally shelved back in 2018. The resulting album, recorded in Nashville with producer Cheyenne Medders, after initial sessions on the west coast with Kelly Winrich (Delta Spirit), has a marked 80s influence. As I mentioned earlier, listeners familiar with his previous work such as 2015's terrific 'Angeleno' record might require a little time to adjust, but rest assured Sam’s sweetly emotive vocal delivery remains, as does the romanticism that lives in his best songs.
‘Here on a Mission’ opens the record in fine style, evoking prime 80s Tom Petty, as synths swirl and pulse while guitars chug and shimmer. The icing on the cake here is a terrific Brandy Zdan harmony vocal playing the role of Stevie to Sam's Tom. The Casio keyboard and drum machine laden 'Popular Mechanics' could well be a Cars outtake (pretty much anything that nods in the direction of the late Messrs. Ocasek and Orr is just fine in my book). The arrangement here seems exuberantly cluttered but hangs together surprisingly well as punchy electric guitars do battle with a wall of synths and a boisterous drum track.
The romantic Outlaw is in full view on the calypso tinged soulfulness of ‘Half A World Away’ while ‘For The Rest Of Our Lives’ is as fine a slab of summery, good-time pop as you will probably hear this year or any other year for that matter. The shimmering keys and chugging guitar injections are back, adding a pop sheen to a tune that is effectively a country song in pop clothing (check out those harmonies) and works wonderfully well. “For the rest of our lives, we can drive each other crazy” is such a fun, relatable lyric.
Sam has said that ‘Sun Ain’t Set’ is his attempt to channel his inner Cyndi Lauper and he hits the mark with a tune that wears its folk/country origins on its sleeve but works equally well as a ‘Time After Time’ style slab of pop balladry. “You’ve taken it hard, but at least you’re taking it” is the kind of lyric that will ring a bell with many of us. Inspired by the love triangle that led to the creation of Wonder Woman (you don’t hear that every day) ‘Polyamorous’ is another pop gem. Its infectious hook delivered with a dash of pedal steel over a punchy rhythm track courtesy of Tank Lisenbe (Tank is such a great name for a drummer).
Side two opens with the hugely impressive string and piano-laden epic ‘Stay The Night’ (a power ballad as Sam tags it) which features spiralling slide guitar and a killer key change. ‘Bad Enough’ opens with an insistent rootsy guitar part that works well as a counterpoint to the electronica. Outlaw and co throw the kitchen sink into a Trevor Horn inspired production brimming with swirling guitars and stacked backing vocals. Unsurprisingly Outlaw throttles back, or just takes a deserved deep breath, for the stripped back, acoustic guitar-driven, ‘Language of Love’ with its dead ringer for James Taylor hook. ‘Daydreaming’ is pure pop with a more serious lyrical undercurrent and synth horns that actually sound nice (shock, horror). The album concludes with the uplifting, positivity of ‘When You Feel It’ building to a crescendo of crashing drums and multiple guitar lines (not quite a Thin Lizzy tune, but those duelling harmony guitars are pretty cool).
Sam Outlaw has taken chances with ‘Popular Mechanics' and displayed plenty of conviction and self-belief to make the album he wanted to make. Outlaw’s songs, although rooted in the country/Americana genre, are complimented quite beautifully by the production choices resulting in an excellent record that feels just right and is a heap of fun to listen to. If there is any justice 'Popular Mechanics' should have broad appeal and, to be honest, even if this is not the case and existing fans prove more difficult to convince, Outlaw has, as I’ve said, made the record he wanted to make and that’s the most important thing.
Popular Mechanics will be released on CD on March 4th 2022, with a vinyl release to follow in April. Sam Outlaw tours the UK & Europe throughout March - tickets on sale now.
Life is full of surprises. At a time when the majority of people would be content to retire, potter about in the garden, and leave new music to the young folks, erstwhile Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch is back with a new band and an impressive new record. The other surprise is that the Italian Frontiers label, usually the home of all things AOR and melodic hard rock, continues a welcome expansion into other musical realms. The Speaker Wars and Frontiers seem like unlikely bedfellows, but the label is to be commended for landing this particular release. More please.