When Ramseur Records released Samantha Crain’s EP, The Confiscation, two years ago, it was a debut only in the loosest sense of the word, as Crain had already self-released a fairly voluminous series of demos before signing with the label. The young Oklahoman (and full blood Choctaw) sings and writes with the emotional authority that one would expect from someone who shares roots with Woody Guthrie, while offering a contemporary sonic perspective within her emotive and melancholy story songs.
On last year’s Songs in the Night, Crain added an actual band, the Midnight Shivers, which expanded the range of her Folk Pop odes and hymns into tougher Indie Rock territory while retaining the rootsy textures of her earlier work. Like The Confiscation, Songs in the Night was hailed as one of the best efforts of the year, and that reaction is likely to greet Crain and the Midnight Shivers’ imminent new album, You (Understood), set for release early next month.
She plays the Southgate House Wednesday. Get show details and Sound Advice here.
