Sam Outlaw is Saving Country Music With “Angeleno”

Sam Outlaw has been brooding around Southern California the last couple of years and has well made a name for himself as proper country artist. Situating himself as a champion for the California country scene, Outlaw’s new album “Angeleno” rightly qualifies him to do as such. Outlaw’s pleasantly-shaky voice is never lost in the subtle and easygoing musicianship of minor chord progressions (by the way, instrumentation here alone deserves high praise). 12 tracks of Charlie Pridesque mellow rhinestone tunes, peppered with some mariachi usage and Patron references, is not your hipster barista’s “country” – its your dad’s. The first time listening through “Angeleno” I instantly was a fan, it didnt take work, and he’s not an acquired taste, so please give yourself a little block of time and give a listen (the album is available on Spotify by the way). Worthy of note are the brilliant female backup vocals (I dont know off hand her name), but her voice gets me a little metaphsyical (would love to hear that voice alone if possible) – when she chimes in its like a soft kiss on the cheek. For the country genre that was never broke or in need of fixing (but more lost and forgotten), Outllaw tips his hat to you from atop Griffith Observatory to get acquainted with California country album “Angeleno”.