Name: Songdreaming
Brand: Sam Lee

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

COOKLP915

Colour

Green

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

140g Vinyl

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2024-03-15

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Orchard

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

711297921519

Total Cap

Green LP

COOKCD915

Extended format: No

711297921526

Artist

Sam Lee

Genre US

Folk

Label US

Cooking Vinyl

Sam Lee is a highly skilled keyboard player known for his exceptional talent and versatility. With years of experience in the music industry, Sam has established himself as a sought-after musician, captivating audiences with his unique style and soulful performances.
Having studied music from a young age, Sam's passion for the keyboard shines through in every note he plays. His technical proficiency combined with his innate musicality allows him to effortlessly navigate various genres, from classical to jazz and everything in between.
Whether performing on stage or recording in the studio, Sam's dedication to his craft is evident. His ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level sets him apart as an artist who truly understands the power of music. Discover the mesmerizing sounds of Sam Lee and let his keyboard mastery transport you to new musical heights.

Sam Lee releases his fourth studio album, ‘songdreaming’, on March 15th. The follow up to 2020’s ‘Old Wow’, an album variously described as ‘A dazzling fusion of nature and song’ (The Observer) and a ‘sublime album that demands to be heard in the 21st century’ (The Daily Telegraph) amidst a host of critical acclaim, ‘songdreaming’ was recorded throughout 2023. The album sees Sam continue his work with producer Bernard Butler and long-term collaborator, arranger, and composer James Keay in creating an album rich in musicality and invention. ‘songdreaming’ represents the latest stage in the development of Sam Lee’s music, from its roots in traditional folk song to a new way of imagining and performing these old songs, making them relevant for a modern audience. ‘songdreaming’ may be built on the backbone of double bass, percussion, and violin but is infused with a world of instrumentation including the Arabic Qanun, Swedish Nyckelharpa, small pipes, and more. Across the ten tracks, Sam delivers an album that ranges from more immediately identifiable acoustic songs to drone soundscapes through to the electric guitar and gospel choir propelled lead single, ‘Meeting Is A Pleasant Place’, featuring the recording debut of Trans Voices, a London based transgender choir. It is an album that can incorporate the beautiful balladry of ‘Sweet Girl McRee’ alongside the gospel tinges of ‘Leaves of Life’ whilst also housing the whiteout noise close of album opener ‘Bushes and Briars’, a song that details Sam’s rage at the treatment and condition of the natural world. Nature, and the natural world, remain Sam’s primary lyrical concern. He characterises the album as “a mosaic of the emotions felt in my time outdoors, that artistically emerge in reflective moments when I'm permitted to recount and articulate the complexity of all I witness and thus feel responsible for”. In taking songs that are directly related to the nature of the British Isles, weaved into its very being, Sam is continuing to reinvent and contemporise a tradition of communion with the land through song. What that means to the listener is a rich and evocative journey through the complex emotions created for Sam by his engagement with nature and his deep-felt affinity for it, drawing on sources as diverse as the sacred music of European and global mystic traditions, the work of neo-classical contemporary composers, and the simple effectiveness of a well delivered vocal melody. At the heart of ‘songdreaming’ is a belief in the fundamental power of music to connect and inspire. For Sam, these reimagined and reworked songs are more than a history, they are a living, breathing connection to our very being: “Those people who are and were singing the old songs here at home were also looking after the land. When we stop singing to the land, the land stops singing back.” ‘songdreaming’ marks a further evolution of Sam as an artist, from his initial appearance as a curator of ancient song through to the creator of a new musical language for the canon and the meaning contained within it. It is an album that avoids simple classification, the revelation of an artist at the height of his creative powers, dedicated to both his message and its connection to its audience.

Songdreaming

Music US

Discover Songdreaming by Sam Lee, the latest album from the acclaimed artist. Released on Cooking Vinyl, this album is a rich and evocative journey through nature-inspired songs. Available in various formats.