Customer Reviews

The Inhuman Condition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This guy first came to my attention while I was visiting Calgary, Alberta Canada during the summer of 2003. I heard one of his songs on the radio and then I noticed my friend had a copy of his EP at home, so I decided to give it a listen. Half of the EP grabs you immediately and the other half grows on you pretty quickly. This is some totally fun stuff! I can't quite describe what it's like, not because it's something way out there but because it's actually quite conventional sounding. Sam Roberts' greatest asset is that he doesn't require gimmicks or avant-grde posturing to put out some good straightforward rock. The track 'Don't Walk Eileen' is the catchiest number on the album and the one that grabs your attention first. This guy is like the (...)child of BTO, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Beach Boys, Rick Springfield, Grand Funk Railroad and God knows what else. I sense a touch of that late 70's/early 80's pop-rock vibe in his stuff. Every song is well crafted, with distinct instrumentation and fine, tight musicianship (made all the more impressive by the fact that Roberts played every instrument on the album except the drums.) 'My Love Is Freeing' is a slow laid-back song that starts off with a quirky guitar part and some slightly off key singing, but the chorus refrain soars in such a fantastically mellow way that it's not easy to say what it sounds like. Everything here sounds very familiar and you can hear 1000 different bands and influences in his sound, but you can't exactly say who or what. Roberts mixes everything up so well that he actually gives us something new without even trying. 'This Is How I Live' sounds like a hillbilly rave-up squeezed through the pop harmonies of Cheap Trick. It also features the immortal line ''I'm young, dumb and ready to come ALIVE!' I really can't put any of this down in words. Another outstanding fact is that Roberts originally intended to use this album as his demo, but I guess Canadian radio picked up on the track 'Brother Down', which kinda sounds like an indie rock tune, but catchier than anything Sebadoh or Pavement would ever put out, and from there this 'demo' spawned three hit singles. The 'Brother Down' video helped too, featuring Sam's band stranded out to sea on a small boat trying to figure out what to do as their supplies dwindle. Wait'll you see the fate of the clumsy, annoying guy. Another great tune is 'When Everything Is Alright' which sounds like all those fun 70s bands, like Foghat and Thin Lizzy, but speeded up to an almost punky tempo and some vocal harmonizing on par with Brian Wilson and family. The EP's real standout track is 'Where Have All The Good People Gone?'. The song opens with the line 'Oh, the Milky Way, has gone a little sour.' And just ascends from there. It has a timeless feel, combining a Beatles-like melody with a good old classic rock stomp beat and some semi-jazzy jangle guitar noodling. When the song slows down, it shows traces of psychedlia with a slight synth note that veers dangerously close to prog rock without actually going into that territory. Everything on this EP sounds very well thought out but so deceptively simple that it seems as if its something he just threw together in his spare time (which he probably did.) It's really all quite good and should get more exposure. Unfortunately, America is always adverse to anything coming out of Canada, if said artist hasn't moved to the States first.

I bought this EP after hearing Brother Down on the radio and was pleasantly surprised to find that all the tracks are as strong as Brother Down. What works is the spontaneity of the riffs - the songs really move. The songwriting is the strong point, as Roberts channels the best of Jane's Addiction, Elvis Costello, and even the Beach Boys into a neat package.

Sam is a true talent. A fun album with catchy tunes you will be humming all day. I agree with the influences/connections that the other reviewers have suggested and would suggest that there is some Jane's Addiction type of influence here as well. Fantastic first effort, head and shoulders above most of the stuff on the radio today. Can't wait for a full-length disc. Really glad that Sam got all that pro-hockey stuff out of the way to move on with what he was meant to do!!!

Although the CD only has 6 tracks, each song grabs your attention right until the very end, making you want to hear more... Hopefully a 2nd record is in the making!

This CD gives off an indescrible energy that feels your body and makes you just want to rock out. Although it is only six songs, it is six songs that you fall in love with the first time you listen to them. Sam Roberts is incredible. He writes all the music himself and with the help of The Secret Weapon, they have put together a CD worth buying. I think anyone who can listen to bands from the Beatles to Incubus and everything inbetween can listen to this CD. It's amazing!

If you're looking into buying this record, you should know that it's an EP - there are only six songs, just over 20 minutes of music. The CD starts with a pop-rock bang à la Sloan, "Don't Walk Away Eileen," which might surprise if all you've heard is the second track and current single, "Brother Down." Unfortunately, after two great songs, the CD starts to disappoint. While well-written, the next four tracks are bogged down in monotonous over-production, but if you can get past this, you should enjoy the Inhuman Condition EP - it's a good introduction to Sam Roberts' burgeoning talent.

This is a CD no one should miss. Incredible, moving, and witty lyrics. The music is moving and packed with a strange energy, without the stench of effort.

Roberts has a raw, honest voice that hits all the right emotions. This album is on par with PJ Harvey, Coldplay, The Matthew Good Band, The Verve or Travis. Some Birds, Brother Down, Don't Walk Away Eileen, and This is How I Live are stand out tracks.

I have yet to hear this cd, so I can not comment on its recording quality, the craft involved in the mixing, the 'flow' of the tracks from first to last, or the overall merits of the liner notes as they relate a new band's philosphy, etc. However, my son and I (his first concert- eleven years old) saw them warm up for the Tragically Hip last night at the Landmark Theater, in Syracuse NY, and this band rocks. Part Beach Boys, part Ramones, part Pearl Jam (or, potentially, the more obvious Tragically Hip), they were dynamite. They played nearly the entirety of this ep, and, although some of the songs fell too easily into formula, I was excited enough to purchase the cd. I spent the drive home kicking myself for not buying it right there! Will they catch on here in the states? Probably not, sadly. I've been listening to the Hip for eleven years, and still have to constantly answer the question "Tragically who?" Could our bretheren to the north really be that much better informed? (A difficult question, as they did saddle the world with Celine Dion and Alanis...).