Some guys can sing. Some guys can play guitar. Some guys can write songs. Some guys know their way around the recording studio. Then there are guys like Sam Weber. He’s one of those guys who can do it all. The multi-talented artist made that fairly clear already on his 2014 album Shadows in the Road and the 2016 followup Valentina Nevada. But he’s definitely hammering the point home on his superb (and aptly titled) seven-track EP New Agile Freedom. For those who aren’t up to speed yet, the twenty-something Weber hails from North Saanich, B.C., though his musical roots and influences seem to extend straight down the coast to Los Angeles (with a brief layover in Seattle). His dusky voice recalls troubadours like Jackson Browne, though occasionally there’s a hint of Ben Gibbard‘s tender croon in there too. Weber’s songwriting has a lot of Browne’s emotional depth in its DNA too, though I’d also argue some of his wittier lines and more wistful melodies owe a debt to Warren Zevon. Meanwhile, the former Berklee student’s spiky fretwork will remind you of Lindsey Buckingham, though his searing slide lines are definitely more David Lindley. Finally, his stylishly tasteful yet spacious and uncluttered production — reportedly he cut some of these songs at home — puts another dash of mid-period Death Cab For Cutie icing on the whole rich cake. But don’t let all my comparative criticism give you the wrong impression. Weber is neither clone, caricaturist nor copycat. He’s just a guy who sounds like he’s spent some quality time soaking up some quality music. But ultimately, Weber fuses all these contrasting and complementary influences into an approach that is indelibly compelling and undeniably his alone. Bottom line: If he were any more agile, he would be getting job offers from Cirque du Soleil.
