Sam Sample tore through the rose-tinted sheen of sentimentality with the venom-spitting, bassline-rolling embodiment of volition that is Rock Song—a track carved for those who know how it feels to be gutted by their own good intentions. With instrumentals that deliver the same cathartic force as You’ve Got Time by Regina Spektor and the soul of rock ‘n’ roll siren-esque scorn, Rock Song amplifies far more than its guitars; it augments the heartbreak of knowing that love and loyalty can feel like the enemy when they’ve been placed in the palms of the wrong people.
The lo-fi-esque vintage garagey distortion doesn’t just nod to nostalgia—it grips your ribcage and drags you into a past before the warning signs were visible in your rear-view. There’s a coarse, bristling sincerity in the production while Sam Sample rips apart the emotional wreckage of friendship fallouts and relational disillusionment with lyrical poise and melodic purpose.
The production values might come with a scrappy aesthetic, but there’s nothing unfinished about the way Rock Song lands. It refuses to romanticise suffering while refusing to let it pass without creative consequence. With each vocal howl and distorted groove, Sam Sample proves that rage and reflection can still share the same mic when you know where to aim the feedback.
Rock Song is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast.
No Comments