We loves us some Amos Lee. He is one of the more soulful, powerful male singers we’ve heard in a while and he consistently puts out music that captures his style, emotion and fervor. He’s a man of many musical tastes which is exemplified in his music. You’ll hear the acoustic singer-songwriter background in just about every song, but he adds in splashes of blues, soul, R&B, country and folk to give a well-rounded signature sound that travels with him on every album he makes.
His latest release, Mission Bell, is no exception. It pulls in inspiration from all of these different styles and is absolutely Amos Lee. Admittedly I’ve always been a fan of the Philadelphian singer-songwriter, but something about the consistency in which he creates memorable albums is an accomplishment most artists can only aspire to. Many times when trying to explain his music to someone that has never heard it, I call him the male Norah Jones. He has a perfectly tuned voice that exemplifies the melody without overpowering the simple background accompaniment (which is most often just an acoustic guitar.)
If you haven’t heard of Amos Lee or simply haven’t gotten around to checking out his music, make this your New Year’s resolution. His self-titled album as well as his sophomore release Supply and Demand got me hooked and are guaranteed to get you hooked too.
Check out Mission Bell on:
Amos Lee is one of those guys that avoids main stream like a middle schooler avoids deodorant, although Amos Lee’s reasons are probably a little more practical. He’s been compared by me to Norah Jones; exhibiting the same smooth, melodic vocal qualities inherent in her voice (in obviously a more male fashion.) His simple melodies are enhanced by his voice which transform his songs into such beautiful pieces of art, they honestly make unicorns cry. And for those of you that know, that’s a hard thing to do.
Amos Lee first caught the attention of (who else) Norah Jones in 2003 where he was offered to join her 2004 tour. Shortly after in 2005, he released his first studio-recorded, self-titled album Amos Lee (bet you didn’t see that coming) where it received praise from Rolling Stone magazine and offered Lee a slew of guest appearances on popular television shows. I personally recommend checking out the songs “Arms of a Woman”, “Dreamin” and “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight”, although every song on the album deserves recognition.
His second album, Supply and Demand, hit record stores in 2006 and offered a track list that rivaled the raw emotions and melodies captured in his previous album but with an overall fuller, upbeat sound. You may recognize his song “Sweet Pea” as featured on the recent popular AT&T advertisements.
Or check out the video for the title track:
I also highly recommend the songs “Southern Girl”, “The Wind” and “Sympathize.” I would also recommend checking him out live. His tour dates are currently few and far between, but if you can find him it will be more awesome than getting two prizes in your cereal box. I promise.
Check out Supply and Demand:
Amazon Music
iTunes
Like Amos Lee? Check out Landon Pigg!
