Greetings dearest reader and music fans let’s welcome US artist Samantha Rae to our digital space. Samantha Rae is thrilled to introduce to you her first pop-country album, “The High Road”,which was released on 26th July. Together with her manager and creative partner Jay DellIsola, she co-wrote all twelve of the album’s tracks. They recorded and produced the whole thing in their own home studio. All lead vocals were done by her while she and Jay used their voices to create layers of backing vocal textures. Let’s talk more about this album

“Taking Me Down” is the title track of this album. The song is a burst of energy right out of the gate. The song is about a relationship where one party blames the other for the hurt and damage that was in the relationship. She lets him know that blaming her for their problems was hurting her(”you put the hurt on me, you know you be taking me down”, The vocal performance is passionate and powerful and the harmonies were so spectacular. The song was the perfect choice to start the album

Next is the song “Gaslighter”. This next song is a country-infused song. The song describes a one-sided relationship. In such cases, you might be okay for a while accepting that you’re not his first choice or choice at all but eventually when things start to go really bad you realize in that moment that you’ve been led on for nothing and you have spent all your time and energy on a relationship that was nonexistent (”you’re a, you’re a gaslighter”). The song has heavy country influences and it is

The perfect fit for a lover-scorned storyline. There is an earth-shattering stringed instrument solo that is breathtaking and this song will sound even more perfect when performed live the fade-out was a really nice touch

“Pinnochio” is the song that comes next. The song has a dramatic and operatic intro. The song describes a broken relationship where the man acts like he’s the victim, meanwhile the woman gave him her all(”when I gave you my time, my life, my heart. Just so sad you tore it apart”). As the song continues she talks about how her now ex-lover is a bad friend who stabs his friends in the back and likened and called him Pinocchio.(”oh Pinocchio”). For context because other characters in the story were mentioned, Pinocchio is an Italian fable where a lonely woodcarver (Geppetto), carved out a wooden puppet boy who was going to keep him company. A fairy who had looked into Geppetto’s heart and saw his true intention and gave the puppet life so he could keep Geppetto company. The puppet boy needed a conscience so he was given a cricket(Jiminy) to act as his conscience. This simile of likening her ex-lover to Pinocchio is very profound and witty. Musically the song is a tad slow and the stringed instruments(guitar solo) take charge and the song creates a lovely soundscape

Next is a song called “Want Me Back”. This song doesn’t have a flashy opening and goes straight into the vocal performance. The song is a song about a character who lost him or herself to drinking and self-medication and then wishes that he or she would get himself or herself back (”I want me back, want me back”). The song speaks on depression, a topic that is too heavy to talk about(”that’s when I get depression y’all”) and discusses it not casually but tasteful and it teaches you what to look out for in a person who is depressed. The mouth percussionists are intriguing and you will be captivated by this song

“Burning in My Soul” is the song that follows. The song opens with these heavy and beautiful guitar strums. The song describes a character who has got this itch and craves danger and living on the edge(”I’ve got this burning in my soul, take a chance and light this town on fire”). This is a foot-tapping song with rich country influences. The vocal performance is very snazzy and you will want to grab a partner to dance or dance by yourself

“Where You Are” is the song that follows on this crazy sonic ride. The song’s intro is Sam asking to do another take, right after that you hear this piano and violin fusion and it is Gorgeous. In a perfect world or some alternate universe, the song’s character is missing her lover and decides to go to where he is. (” Tell me where you are”)This makes the song so badass and forward-thinking that it’s the woman who gives her lover a grand romantic gesture so he can know how much she cares. It’s a ballad but it is not sad, it’s a power move and I felt empowered just like Monica asked Chandler to marry her in the 90’s sitcom show “Friends”. But unlike the TV show, our character was afraid and didn’t want to go there because it had been so long. The song is emotive and will tug on your heartstrings

“143(I love you)” is the next song on the album. This song is a soft rock and country-infused at the same time. The song is about a person who took time off to work on themselves and face their face and is now an ideal partner. She begs him to give her another chance because she still loves him(”I love you”). The lyrics of this song are profound. It is important to build yourself up and be the best person you can be so you can be a good partner to your lover. I applaud Sam for preaching on self-growth. The guitar sounds are at the forefront of the sound as usual. Sam gives a Grammy winning performance as usual and her voice and the instrumentation (guitar solo)match perfectly

“I Only Cry in Trucks” is the song that follows. The song opens with the sound of an engine starting and then you can hear Sam’s voice clear as day, all bright and beautiful. The song talks about a persona who only cries or lets things hurt her only but a moment (”I finally got a gun, I only cry in trucks”). The song teaches listeners to build up walls to protect themselves, it is not good advice what some people may say but sometimes that’s the only way we can cope and that’s okay. Sam did great vocally and the instrumentation was pure elegance taking listeners on an all-immersive sonic trip

Next is the song” Back to You”. This song has an upbeat and exciting intro. The song is about a character who somehow finds her way back to one particular man over and over again because of how he treats her(” You gave me all I need and that led me straight to you”). There is an awesome guitar solo in the song that deserves a round of applause and we might need an encore over and over again. And the instrumentation towards the end of the song

“Therapy” is the song that is up next. A burst of bright and cheery guitar strum in the very beginning. The character is a powerful and cocky woman who knows the power she holds and says that if she talks to her psychologist about you, you need to behave in a very specific way or else you would be the one who will go to therapy. The lyrics are funny, witty, and interesting. Your attention will be piqued just to find out how this intriguing story will end. The vocal performance is flawless and so are the harmonies the instrumentation is crisp and exciting and a guitar and drum solo ends this fantastic song

Next is the song” I see in you”. The song opens with a very magnificent guitar riff. This song is a poetic piece of music that talks about how a loving and healthy relationship should feel (“You’re the love of my life I see in you”). The song is fast-paced and the vocal performance is beautiful. This is the kind of song you would want to play during your and your new husband’s first dance or your significant other’s trying to have fun on the dance floor. The song is foot tapping that oozes out positivity and elevates your mood instantly

The last song on this album is titled “Time”. This track starts with muffled chatter before a sweet and melodic guitar strum begins. The song talks about how life is short and encourages us to use the time we have here as best as possible (“We’re not here for long”),. The song encourages us to live loud and life-free, never regretting any time spent (“but never regret your time”). The mouth percussions, harmonies, and guitar solo give it this heavenly and emotive feel. This song leaves a lasting impression on you and gives you time to reflect upon life long after the song has ended. This majestic song, concludes the album

I have been so thrilled by this album. Sam gave her best on each and every single song. Throughout the album, we see different versions of her voice. She was kind, tender, and emotive when she needed to be, she was sassy, powerful, and dangerous when she needed to be. Each song was well crafted in the lyrical and instrumentation category. I recommend this album to all music fans, no matter the genre they favor. Sam is a gifted artist and I can’t wait to hear more from her

Stream the “High Road “ on Spotify or SoundCloud

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