As I have stated in the past, TikTok has become one of the best ways to find new music. It is awesome how many great new artists I have discovered with this app in the last year or so. Samica is someone I came across and followed in 2022 because I thought her content was funny. She has an entertaining “Lazy Girl” series on TikTok where she simply cooks various foods, and she tells lots of funny and interesting stories on the app. She also uploads clips of her music on TikTok, and it is so captivating that I had to start streaming it. One thing I immediately noticed about Samica as a musician is how versatile of an artist she is. Although her catalog is not vast, it is diverse. She has songs with a Pop-Trap sound, a Synth-Pop sound, a Soft Rock sound, and a Country/Folk sound. It seems like she likes making Country and Folk music the most, though, as it has the genre she has made the most music in and it is the genre of her new EP Laurel Canyon. Here is how I feel about this new EP from Samica. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Laurel Canyon, and also comment what your favorite tracks from it are.
Samica starts off this project with a strong and distinctive note. ‘Another Life’ has an Indie Neo-Country sound that stands out because of the way the instrumental is arranged. The song is driven by a beat that has electric-sounding drums(I can tell if these were recorded on a drum pad or if it was done on real drums and edited) and a sweet guitar melody that is supported by various high and low Synth notes. The melody is so sweet and soft; it has a snug and calming element that I enjoy a lot. Samica’s vocals on this song are so nice to listen to. They match the calming element of the melody well and add so much to the song’s pleasant nature. The melody in itself is great, but Samica’s voice makes the track so much better. It is such a strong way to start off this project. Following ‘Another Life,’ we get ‘Last Lover.’ This track feels so much more retro than the track that precedes it. ‘Last Lover’ has a fast-paced Folk sound that makes me think of music from the 50s and early 60s. It is a very simple song; the song consists of just a guitar riff and Samica’s layered vocals. As I mentioned, the guitar riff is very quick. Even though the song has no beat, this riff makes me want to dance. The melody has a campfire feeling to it. It feels like something that someone would play at a kickback out in the country with friends. Like the preceding song, Samica’s vocals stand out on this track. I love how her vocals are arranged on this track, as they add so much flavor and texture to the song. Even though it is a very simple track by nature, Samica’s vocals give it the level of complexity that it needs.
‘Strangers At Heart’ was the only single that was released in an anticipation of this project. This track is a lot more instrumentally complex than the first two tracks on the EP. It starts with an Acoustic sound, but eventually, the guitar riff is complemented by a drum beat(this one is not electronic), a piano melody, a fiddle, and another guitar. ‘Strangers at Heart’ has a sound that reminds me a lot of 90s Country. When I hear this instrumental, I think of artists like Alan Jackson or Travis Tritt. There are also elements of the song that make me think of early Tayor Swift music(this may be because of how Samica sings the song). The instrumental has a snug, all-encompassing feeling to it. This is added to by the rich nature of Samica’s vocals. Laurel Canyon closes out with the song ‘Red Ferrari.’ This track is another one with another very full sounding instrumental. It is driven by a twangy electric guitar riff; it is joined by an acoustic guitar and a traditional Country drum beat. This track has a sort of rock breakdown during its bridge that I enjoy a good amount because it is an unexpected switch-up. When i hear this track, I think of artists like Sheryl Crow or Shania Twain. Like always, Samica’s vocals on ‘Red Ferrari’ are so good. She gives the song so much personality, and matches the energy that the instrumental has. ‘Red Ferrari’ is a nice way to close out this project, as it has a sing-a-long feeling to it that I think could make it the perfect closer to a concert.
I am glad I decided to check out this project and review it because I think it confirms that Samica is a rising star. As I mentioned throughout the project, the thing that stands out the most about Laurel Canyon is Samica’s voice. It is easy to see how versatile of a vocalist she is just from this short EP. Although they are all technically Country or Folk, every song on this project has a different sound, and she is easily able to adapt her voice to each of these songs. On every track from Laurel Canyon, Samica’s vocals add so much to the song and give it so much character. Laurel Canyon has a Country music sound that stands out in 2023. There are not a ton of big Country artists making music with this kind of sound today, and it definitely ventures far away from what would be considered mainstream modern Country. I appreciate this a lot, as it shows Samica is not afraid to think outside the box and do her own thing. Laurel Canyon is a very good EP that anyone who like Country should check out, and it proves Samica is an artist that should be paid attention to by anyone who enjoys this kind of music.
EAST SIDE VIBES 