Music
Press
A manifesto is a call to action, and the debut album from Blake Amos is just that.
‘The Manifesto’ is a collection of playful stories with a heartfelt call for awareness and progress. Amos proves he’s got a deep bag of musical tricks, with songs that transition from high-energy anthems to smoother, more intimate gems. Along this journey his guitar leads throughout, with rhythmic strumming that sets the pace and a level of mastery which implies that the stories in the songs are probably all true.
A fine balance between dramatic narrative and easy, soulful delivery is achieved throughout. Whether explaining the payment of spiritual dues (on the track Trapeze), serenading a city of inspiration (Another Bite) or soothing a lover after a fight (In My Face) – Blake’s evocative lyrics are delivered in an unhurried tenor, letting time changes, layers of rhythm and carefully constructed harmonies, do the work of setting the emotional scene. The best examples of this are the bilingual ballad Novamente, with its psychedelic electric guitar wail over a soulful bass-heavy groove – and the upbeat but potent message in Lay Down, sung over an electro-bossa backdrop.
In the spirit of other modern artists with global appeal like Brazilian Girls, Manu Chao and Beck, Amos’ Manifesto moves convincingly across multiple genres, grounded and polished by his own production expertise.
The album as a whole offers a feast of instrumental and vocal techniques from across Blake’s real journey around the world. What connects them all is the call to action referred to in the title; the sound is reflective of time and travel and most of all, thought – enough to make you want to grab your own guitar and go see what’s out there for you.
Onika Simon
- Further Down
Discography
The Manifesto (full length cd) - Blake Amos
Photos
Bio
Blake left New Orleans with his acoustic guitar 23 years ago to answer the calling of Brazilian samba and bossa nova that had fascinated him for years. These two musical worlds - one the birthplace of jazz and blues and the other a rhythmic melting pot against a backdrop of sunny beaches, can be heard in the syncopated strum of his guitar. What these two worlds have in common is soul and alchemy: experimenting with what already exists to constantly create something new; a skill Blake embodies today in his eclectic sound and playful approach to live performance. The result is a refreshing post-modern take on world music that fuses samba, funk/rock, reggae and soul. A warm and believable voice make it memorable.
After Brazil, Blake kept moving – he worked in Thailand for 10 months in the clubs of Bangkok; as a multi-media performance artist he later received a Brazil Fulbright Fellowship which put in him Salvador, Bahia for another year. Upon his return to the states he decided to settle down in Brooklyn – thus beginning a perpetual back and forth between N.Y. and N.O. Before leaving New Orleans in 2002 he enjoyed his biggest hometown following ever with his lounge/dance crossover band Saudade.
At every stop along his route he had absorbed a cultural or musical influence and these techniques and linguistics meshed together in his playing and songwriting, forming something new and distinctive. Having experienced so many walks of life and felt a sense of unity among them has given his music a natural, universal appeal
Each song on his new album The Manifesto is a fable starring a spectrum of characters that range from lovers and traveling companions to superheroes and even the city of New York itself. But in every bar you hear, the message is of the utmost importance. The message is the sound of an ongoing journey - of tales lived and heard, layered together with a love of soul and a skill for musical fusion.
Links
