Sam Amidon’s Salt River is an album that feels like it’s constantly evolving, resisting easy categorization while embracing the timelessness of folk traditions. Known for his unique blend of Americana, jazz, and experimental sounds, Amidon continues to push boundaries on this release, curating an eclectic set of covers and reinterpreting them in surprising ways. His collaborator Sam Gendel, a jazz saxophonist and producer, plays a key role in guiding this vision, helping create a sound that’s at once airy, avant-garde, and rooted in the earth.
Amidon’s characteristic mournful voice takes center stage, but it’s the arrangements that really set Salt River apart. Tracks like “Three Five,” which reimagines the traditional “Old Churchyard,” feature his signature blend of sparse guitar, delicate percussion, and lush horns, giving the song a haunting, modern sheen. Similarly, “Tavern,” a track built on the familiar American fiddle tune “Salt River,” is transformed with a looping synth background and a swelling, orchestral second act, adding depth and texture to its rustic origins.
The album’s most striking moments come when Amidon experiments with the unexpected. His take on Lou Reed’s “Big Sky” melds folk, minimalism, and indie rock into something wholly new, while “Ask the Elephant,” a cover of Yoko Ono’s 2009 song, becomes an introspective, melancholy fireside rendition. Amidon’s ability to make such disparate influences feel seamless is a testament to his artistry and his commitment to reimagining folk music as a living, breathing entity.
Yet, for all its adventurous spirit, Salt River is not without its moments of stillness. The cover of Ornette Coleman’s “Friends and Neighbors” stretches out into a free-flowing jam that captures the essence of Coleman’s avant-garde jazz but lacks the raw energy and liberation of the original. Likewise, “Golden Willow Tree,” an Appalachian ballad, is delicate and haunting but may leave some listeners yearning for more dynamic movement within its minimalist framework.
Despite a few quieter moments, Salt River is a compelling addition to Amidon’s already impressive body of work. It exemplifies his ability to blend old-world folk traditions with modern experimentalism, creating a unique space where the past and future of music can coexist and evolve. In a sense, Amidon’s music represents a river itself—constantly flowing, changing, and never confined to one place or style. – Jason Felton