Sam Morrow leaves no sense of ambiguity when he plugs in and does what comes natural. First and foremost he rocks in a quintessential southern American way weaving a guitar-fuelled journey through empty roads and dusty roadhouses. It's been done before and will likely to be done in the future, but there is no harm in capturing the present in the company of an artist cut out to make those vibes shimmer and shudder.
In 2020, the rock style of Sam Morrow lies on the fault line of gritty Americana and a retro stance where the genre was finding its feet post-psychedelia. It also receptive to injections of funk and blues to make it an overall rounded sound. Foot tapping and head nodding tunes bring a semblance of orderly culture to the proceedings to reveal layers of substance and music set to thrive in active settings.
GETTIN' BY ON GETTIN' DOWN is a juicy selection of nine tracks taking just over half an hour to sink their teeth into your listening repertoire, and ripe for the live arena or a journey that desires a suitable soundtrack. You get the feel for Morrow's roots, whether the upbringing in Texas or the current residence in California. Both places are iconic backdrops for this type of music in the annals of the American road rock emporium, and Morrow soaks up his influences sumptuously, just as he did in his previous release CONCRETE & MUD. This was effectively his third record, but the first that raised his profile overseas.
We had the pleasure of seeing the Sam Morrow Band in the UK last year in venues that may not be his bread and butter back home, but they proved adaptable versatile performers and this also plays out as the new album rocks and rolls to its destination. That resting place is the totally toned down acoustic rock ballad 'I Think I'll Just Die Here'. A track not representative of the album, but maybe says a lot more about Morrow's thoughtful approach to how he wishes to see his craft pan out.
Far more in tune of the album's definition are the title track, funky opener 'Rosarito' and the rollicking 'Money Ain't a Thing'. In contrast to the laid back closer, the album gets into its heaviest mode at the mid point with 'Make 'Em Miss Me'.Throughout, Morrow's worn and bruised vocals gruffly capture the essence of the journey and you get the impression that the guy has absolutely found the sweet zone.
Sam Morrow is an artist who puts in a shift to earn every modicum of praise that is likely to flood in his direction. GETTIN' BY ON GETTIN DOWN is the type of blue collar hard driving album that will rack up many miles and plays. It captures the moment perfectly and leaves its architect in a fruitful position of packaging a product acutely gift wrapped for its desired audience.