Tulsa-born, L.A.-living singer/songwriter AM found a nice slot for himself when he got pieces from his 2005 debut, Troubled Times, featured on a whole host of television programs, from Big Love and Friday Night Lights to Brothers & Sisters and even The Hills. But that all came from a relatively narrow singer/songwriter bandwidth, the kind that The O.C. (QRO Music of The O.C.) started & Grey’s Anatomy has kept up. Thankfully, AM has widened his approach on follow-up Future Sons & Daughters, especially with some relaxed funk.
The calypso rhythm & sounds of opener "A Complete Unknown" introduce this new AM (would that be ‘PM’?). He’s still got the alt-singer/songwriter thing going, but there’s a sunnier vibe to the relaxed strum of "The Other Side", and even the tropicalia melancholy of "It’s Been So Long". "So Long" is also where AM first reaches for his wa-wa pedal, a little out of place there, and a little uninspired on the following high-funk "Darker Days". However, it’s integrated better in the alt-folk procession "Self-Preservation", the Beatles-esque harmonies with proto-funk beats "Grand Opinion", and the more interesting, without losing its charm, "When the Dust Settles".
AM hasn’t fully pulled his new influences together into a coherent sound, and his relaxed nature can at first seem too mellow. But his step up from small screen soundtracks got the notice of French electronica giants Air (QRO album review), who have invited him on tour. So yes, the Future looks brighter.
MP3 Stream: "A Complete Unknown"
