Sam Brookes has been down into the depths, only to re-emerge with a firm fixation on the beauty and light that can be found in the everyday. He’s been pushed through grief, loss, and heartbreak, using music as a tool to piece himself back together, and to find a forward path
Sam Brookes has been down into the depths, only to re-emerge with a firm fixation on the beauty and light that can be found in the everyday. He’s been pushed through grief, loss, and heartbreak, using music as a tool to piece himself back together, and to find a forward path.
But it hasn’t always been easy. 2014’s ‘Kairos’ was named one of the year’s standout recordings by the Independent, with Sunday Times acclaiming Sam as a Breaking Act. Meanwhile his soaring, multi-octave voice – often compared to Tim Buckley – stands as one of the most expressive instruments in British music. Folk-meets-jazz twisting and turning at the outer reaches of the singer-songwriter role, his music is confessional in the most explicit way – and new album ‘Black Feathers’ is as honest as it gets.
‘Black Feathers’ is a record of exquisite beauty, and unrelenting turmoil. It’s an album of grief and loss, but also of discovery. It’s a gorgeous, painstakingly constructed affair, with guests ranging from revered jazz pianist Neil Cowley to acclaimed fiddle player Sam Sweeney, while Ethan Johns – who has worked with Kings Of Leon, Laura Marling and more – made a rare appearance behind the drum kit.
A daring, riveting experience, ‘Black Feathers’ is a stunning body of work, the sound of someone cutting free from the tangled web of the past to explore a bold future.
