Dubbed the King of Tears, maker of Fondue Western, owner of Smokey Baritone – it’s clear that Sam Himself is the kind of artist that just attracts these titles and a lot of the time it’s reviewers (like us, we’re self aware here!) who put their own labels on him. With this single however, Sam Himself is flipping this script and adopting a new name – ‘Mr. Rocknroll’.
This seems so ballsy and bold, maybe even arrogant, but take a few moments to dig into the track and you’ll discover that he’s not taking himself seriously here, it’s all in good fun. This track is probably his most rock and indie to date, acting as a contrast to the americana and experimental tunes that we’ve heard as of late. The 90s grunge and 80s rock undertones show the enigmatic frontman going back to the roots of the genres that are so artfully spun out in his own style in tracks like ‘Mr. Rocknroll’. He even repeats through the song, “it’s not that complicated”, because this one is all about enjoying the moment and the music, you don’t have to be so serious about it.
Sounding like The National on uppers, Sam Himself walks that line between commanding and approachable, especially in the music video where you can watch this sometimes eccentric character take over a Swiss cafe in a pair of fetching leather trousers.
‘Mr. Rocknroll’ is the third single from his sophomore LP, Never Let Me Go (due January 27 via Sony Music / Taxi Gauche Records).
You can listen to ‘Mr. Rocknroll’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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