Sam Himself – Never Let Me Go (2022)
Born and bred in Switzerland, Sam Himself is the brainchild of Swiss singer-songwriter Sam Koechlin. Known for his full-bodied sound finding the delicate line between intimacy and anthemic boldness, US-based Sam Himself is quite eclectic. Featured in publications like Under The Radar, The Wild Honey Pie, SPIN and various other blogs/magazines, the two-time Swiss Music Award nominee is reaching audiences on a global scale. The latest addition to his discography is ‘Never Let Me Go’.
The pandemic has been hell for most musicians with live venues being closed and it was during his European tour that Sam Himself fell victim to this restriction. Yet, while he was in Europe and not performing, he continued to contemplate and create music. It was the solitude, anxiety and grief of this experience that shaped Sam Himself’s well-received album Power Ballads. The thing is, while his music expressed negative concepts, Sam Himself was also aware of the positive consequence of the pandemic – new beginnings. The new beginnings inspired ‘Never Let Me Go’.
“The last couple of years took their toll on me like they did on all of us, but they also gave me a lot to be thankful for. It still feels like a small miracle that anyone cared about my music while we were all going through this pretty bleak time…when it became clear I wouldn’t be able to return, my whole world felt like it was going to end. It didn’t, fortunately; it just started over and it’s been getting bigger ever since.” – Sam Himself
A collaboration with producer and engineer Daniel Schlett, ‘Never Let Me Go’ layers elements of synth-pop with indie-rock and pop. Smoothing and flowing, the track sets you off on a kaleidoscopic river of sound; however, there remains a slight “kink” in the melody enhancing its obscurity. Sam Himself’s vocal execution is potentially my favourite element as it has an elegant sense of fragility within an empowering track.
For more from Sam Himself check out his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
