Amos Lee
Amos Lee
(Blue Note)
First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2005, Volume 12, #3
Written by John Metzger
Amos Lee’s life is about to become far more complicated. Not only has he
recorded and released his major label debut for Blue Note, but he also has been
tapped to perform on a tour that is being headlined by Bob Dylan and Merle
Haggard. That’s quite a change from the days when he taught elementary school in
Philadelphia and tended bar at the city’s quaint, folk venue Tin Angel. The
pressure of such widespread attention is undoubtedly enormous, but based upon
the strength of his eponymous, new outing, Lee will handle it just fine. Indeed,
the album’s sparse arrangements allow its songs to float past with an
unassuming, easy-going charm that frequently recalls the gentle sweetness and
warm intimacy of label-mate Norah Jones’ efforts, so much so that it isn’t
terribly surprising to discover that Jones as well as several of her
collaborators (Kevin Breit, Adam Levy, and Lee Alexander) had a hand in crafting
the project. Though there are differences between each artists’ approach — Jones
gives her gentle folk tunes an aura of light jazz, while Lee vocally shades his
compositions with the essence of soul stars such as Al Green, Sam Cooke, and
Bill Withers — the result is largely the same. Unfortunately, this is both a
blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the collection radiates an elegant,
understated beauty. On the other hand, Lee spends so much time showcasing his
softer side, that he often neglects to venture into livelier fare. Sure, Give
It Up, which begins where Withers’ Use Me Up concludes, embraces its
elastic groove, but both the perky Lies of a Lonely Friend and the
bluegrass-kissed bounce of Bottom of the Barrel seem more restrained than
perhaps Lee would like them to be. In other words, one is left with a nagging
feeling that his debut has been designed ever so carefully to take advantage of
the formula that propelled Jones’ rise to stardom, and because of its overly
calculated ambience, it fails to highlight the full scope of Lee’s extraordinary
talent. Yet, even with that in mind, it’s still a passionately performed and
wholly captivating set that leaves one wondering what else he might have hidden
up his sleeve. 
½
Of Further Interest...
Al Green - The Definitive Greatest Hits
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae / self-titled
Amos Lee is available
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box