Track Listing

1. Juarez
2. Orphan
3. Slots
4. Pretty World
5. Odessa
6. Sweetly Undone
7. Psychic
8. Boxes
9. Prelude
10. Broken Fingers
11. Days
12. Recessional

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11097 in Music
• Released on: 2007-08-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

CD Description
Sam Baker is fast becoming one of the biggest underground Americana success stories of recent years. His album Mercy gained much critical and popular acclaim on the back of good old-fashioned word-of-mouth, with absolutely zero hype. Baker's much anticipated 2007 follow-up, Pretty World, is set to follow the trend, but will surely project this unassuming Texan out of his cult-hero status and into the mainstream conciousness. Sam Baker's vocal style is unique, and the delicate phrasing of his intelligent lyrics is supported by a sparse and beautiful backdrop of music. At times Baker almost talks through the songs, with his gravel tones inflecting deep humanity into the stories he is telling. Walt Wilkins and Tim Lorsch are responsible for the fine production qualities, and they bring out the best from stellar talents such as Joel Guzman on accordion, Lloyd Maines on dobro and steel, with Gurf Morlix and Marcia Ramirez adding vocals as appropriate to the needs of this excellent album.

Customer Reviews

heartbreakingly beautiful
I came across Sam Baker just by chance, whilst half listening to the Bob Harris show on Radio 2. His slightly faltering voice is beautiful to listen to and the lyrics are heartbreaking. I just love this album.

Americana at its best.
Sam Baker's Pretty World is wonderful. Although the lyrics remind me of John Prine at his poignant best, the music is definitely not pure country. His vocals are understated and at times he almosts "tells" his story, talking rather than singing. The music is sparse, simple and beautiful. I cannot listen to this CD enough. Buy it!!!!!

More than just pretty
With his gruff, half-spoken, half-sung delivery Sam Baker can't escape comparison with forerunners like Kristofferson, but it's a comparison he can stand. Baker's story songs are simple and direct lyrically but not simplistic or banal, with uncluttered and sympathetic support from his band and guests. Baker weaves in quotes from older musical sources to good effect, 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' on 'Orphan' and Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times Come Again No More' sung acapella by the excellent Chris Baker-Davies at the beginning of 'Odessa' a dark morality tale of the corrupting effects of easy money. 'Psychic' tells the song's protagonist "...it's time to choose, choose between lies, or you can choose truth, but you've got to decide..." as the hard edged guitars build a sense of foreboding and the knowledge that this choice will carry a cost. 'Days' is an impressionistic half-Spanish hymn celebrating good food and drink with friends and family, intoxicated with the moment, finding transcendence in the midst of the ordinary.

'pretty world' is an album worth spending some time with.