The most popular of Australian Sam Green’s songs included on the Spotify service are illustrative of his wide range. His obvious folk influences aside, Green demonstrates a willingness to perform in an assortment of styles and dispatches each with confidence and skill. His lyrical subjects, likewise, cover an impressive expanse of topics yet are anchored by an internal consistency that sustains his eleven full-length releases available on Spotify. Anyone who appreciates singular craftsmanship operating independently of current tastes and fashion will enjoy this release and keep coming back for more. Sam Green and the Time Machine is an unique act with power far outstripping many of his contemporaries.
This is evident perusing his ten most popular songs. “For the Ocean” hails from his 2013 release I Think It’s About Time and establishes his folk song bonafides for people if nothing else, but thankfully goes further. The lyrical material is important as it focuses listeners’ attention on a recurring theme, among many, in his work. Green is attuned to the natural world in a way few other songwriters are and writes about such subjects with poetic brevity. “Have the Seasons Changed?’ is a track from 2013’s Players All Are We. The acapella aspect of this track seems to be far from a natural fit for Sam Green’s less than traditionally beautiful voice, but it has a surprising impact. There is a light almost indiscernible echo applied to Green’s voice, but his singing creates and maintains a strong dramatic presence.
Sam Green And The Time Machine
Listen to Sam Green And The Time Machine on Spotify. Artist · 36 monthly listeners.
“Your Heart is a Diamond” hails from the same release. This is a song chiseled out of light, a beautifully wrought love song that eludes being weighed down by cliché. It features some of the finest guitar playing from any of Green’s releases included on Spotify and his vocal matches it with cool, deliberate elegance. “Drowning in a Sea of Life” has a steady march-like tempo and Green adorns the arrangement with several guitar flourishes. Green delivers another five star vocal performance for this track from 2017’s The Time Has Come Again and his writing remains top notch.
“Broken Hill” is from one of Green and the Time Machine’s more recent releases, 2018’s Baked Beans (432 Hertz) and owes a big debt to his folk song roots. It never sounds rote or imitative, however, and one cannot help but admire his talent for utilizing such time-tested musical vehicles in such fresh ways. “I Am Who Justi Be” from 2017’s Love, Love, Love succeeds despite its idiosyncratic phrasing. It’s little wonder this track is a standout for listeners. It’s a deceptively light-hearted statement of purpose with an accompanying musical arrangement capable of capturing your fancy early on.
Sam Green and the Time Machine certainly deserve consideration as one of Australia’s foremost traditional music acts, but this music is ready for a global audience. There’s no question his writing and presentation achieves the necessary universality to make a worldwide impact and the only questions are opportunity and exposure. Let’s hope both are forthcoming and only grow in the future.
Clay Burton