Will Samson: Balance

Will Samson’s delicate, agreeable 2012 release Balance sometimes hisses with lo-fi ambiance, and at other times gurgles with warm, well-produced bass tones. Samson’s high, delicate falsetto reminds the listener unmistakably of Sigur Rós’s Jónsi; indeed, Balance‘s overall impression suggests a less haunting, less histrionic Sigur Rós. There are innumerable interesting noises and chirpings that fade in and out of the background of Samson’s rather pleasant music that give Balance texture, but it is not enough to give these songs any real character or sense of direction. Samon’s songs tend to run together, and they strike a fairly limited range of emotional buttons. These songs never really go anywhere or hit any identifiable climaxes; they mostly just drowsily fade into one another. Balance maintains a foggy, wistful mood throughout, but does very little else. The tracks on Balance are vaguely pretty without ever being beautiful or moving; in the end, there are people who make music of this ilk far more effectively.