Rating: ****
I have to admit, I was underwhelmed by New York singer-songwriter Sam Levin's 2017 release "Frame of Mind". I didn't hate it. In fact, I thought it was pretty good. It was just lacking a distinct point-of-view.
So here we are in 2018, and Levin has a new single out called "First World Problems". Will Sam finally find out what he's all about? Will this be a more focused effort? I mean, it's just a song (new album coming soon from what I understand). Are we going to get all the answers we need from just a tune? There's only one way to find out.
To the music STAT!
Listen to "First World Problems" on SoundCloud below:
Oh hello Strokes-sounding riff! It's decidedly lo-fi. I like this sound for Sam, he sounds like he's being himself. It actually really reminds me of 1996-era Phantom Planet. That's a good thing. The lyrics are clever and current and vocally Levin sounds more deadpan than I remember. I think it's probably often overlooked that Levin is a really strong guitar player. Really solid indie rock tune.
No reason not to pick this one up. It made me really excited to see if his upcoming album is going to be more of the same. I could get into a whole album of indie riffs and indifferent vocals. It just works for him.