Sam Champion
Slow Rewind
(Razor & Tie)
First Appeared in The Music Box, September 2005, Volume 12, #9
Written by John Metzger
Despite its brief history, which dates back only to the summer of 2002, Sam
Champion sounds on its debut Slow Rewind like a veteran rock outfit.
Throughout the set, the band wears its influences on its sleeve, fusing together
the nervous and gritty energy of The Velvet Underground; the crushingly crunchy
cacophony of Neil Young; and the fuzzed-out, slacker-driven tonality of
Pavement. Still, with the faint, country twang that lurks beneath the surface of
its songs as well as the world-weary drawl of front man Noah Chernin, the group
most closely resembles Wilco at its feistiest. Yet, the end result hardly feels
like mere replication. Instead, the ensemble surrounds its angst-filled musings
on youthful apathy, city life, and lost love with an exhilarating and heady brew
of distorted devastation. Clocking in at an economical 33 minutes, Slow
Rewind draws to a close long before it can become tiresome. With its
clattering guitars, its deliberately narcotic rhythms, its melodic overtures,
and its subtle array of kaleidoscopic textures, Sam Champion boldly takes the
first step in what likely will prove to be a long and prosperous career. 
Slow Rewind is available
from Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
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