Will Schube better watch his speed
There aren’t many folk traditionalists left—the sort of musician who treats public domain spirituals with the same reverence as original compositions. There are even fewer who update this tradition with modern twists—electronics, guitar solos, etc. Sam Amidon falls into the latter category—treating an R. Kelly slow jam the same way he does “O Death” or “Bright Sunny South.” Amidon is somehow both rigidly traditional and forward-thinking, the sort of paradox unseen in a genre as rooted in the past as folk music is. “Walkin’ Boss,” the first single from Amidon’s forthcoming Lily-O, was made famous by Jerry Garcia in the early 90s. Amidon’s version is an update of the Deadhead take, relying on a banjo and bouncing electronic sounding drums. Amidon’s voice is as rough as ever, a grating warble both pretty and assertive. “Walkin’ Boss” isn’t aesthetically far from Amidon’s earlier releases, but the colorful guitar flourishes bring a new dimension to his often complex compositions.
