MP3: Tiger Lou - Sam, as in Samantha
Truth be told, I wasn't terribly impressed when I first heard Tiger Lou via the single "Oh, Horatio". It's a fine song, but it took seeing him live at a random living room show in Oakland for me to really appreciate his talent. Rasmus Kellerman's greatest musical asset is his voice, so to hear his songs distilled down to barebones accompaniment was the revelation I needed. His presence and projection made me hear each song anew. It's not a universal test for all types of music, but if the song works in such a setting, it proves that it's bonified. Listening back to Rasmus' early singles this morning makes me realize how far he's come over the years - what was once a promising young singer/songwriter has developed into a true artist, something that first becomes apparent on today's song selection "Sam, as in Samantha". It's still a dude and his guitar at its core, but it's also imbued with a strong sense of drama that didn't exist before on his early 7"s. It's in the production, it's in the performance. Where he goes next, remains unknown - the songs, the voice will undoubtedly be Tiger Lou/Rasmus Kellerman, but I think he aims to surprise as well. New influences, new perspectives... how could he not? Whatever he does come up with, I'm sure it will be great.
Tiger Lou - Sam, as in Samantha