Words by Grey Malkin
‘Sandwood’, the debut EP from fingerstyle guitarist Sam Grassie, follows on from a double headliner single on the esteemed Broadside Hacks label (both tracks are included here) and serves also as a bewitching forerunner of his forthcoming album promised later in the year. Having played previously with folk blues act Avocet (whose track was a highlight on 2021’s ‘Future Folk: Friendly Faces, Different Spaces’ compilation) and graced the stage with fellow Hack’s artist Daisy Rickman (as well as Bernard Butler) at Bert Jansch’s 80th birthday celebrations, Grassie is now ably pursuing his own solo path. The EP itself is aptly funded by the Bert Jansch Foundation, and one gets the impression that Bert himself would be very taken indeed with ‘Sandwood’.
Backed by an ensemble of woodwind, saxophone, drones, double bass and Naima Bock’s vocals, Grassie’s fingerpicking underpins and elevates each track in turn; it cannot be overstated just how beautifully constructed these songs are, and how they seem to flow effortlessly from something both absolutely contemporary, and yet also earthy and ancient.
A case in point is the EP’s opener ‘Kishor’s’, its breathtaking acoustic runs and picked melodies are counterpointed by Nathan Pigott’s sympathetic and evocative saxophone and Robert James’s electric guitar, to create a rustic piece that at times verges on the gently cinematic. ‘Put The Blood’ follows, a darkly hued take on the traditional Child Ballad ‘Edward’, that drives forward upon Grassie’s cascading guitar, with ever growing layers added by Jon Thorne’s double bass and Robert James’s ominous drones, all perfectly embodying the murderous and despairing content of the piece. ‘Sandwood Down To Kyle’, an EP highlight, is a moody and Jansch-flecked lament, Grassie’s guitar chiming behind both his and Naima Bock’s paired vocals, conjuring an atmosphere laden and windswept landscape. Throughout, Tom Grassie’s flute adds further wistful accompaniment that is eerily reminiscent of Robert Kirby’s arrangements on Nick Drake’s work. Finally, the hushed yet transportive acoustic fingerpicking and interwoven melodies of ‘Return To Fingal’ close the EP in an unadorned and starkly gorgeous manner, once again a powerfully visual piece that evokes wide open vistas.
A gem of a release, the only downside is its brevity as the EP delivers so much in its four songs that much, much more is desired, and this will surely be met when Grassie’s album is released later in 2024. For now, this is a thing of small but great beauty, and will tide us over. Take a journey to Sandwood, you will surely feel the same.
‘Sandwood’ was released on the 4th March is available at samgrassie.bandcamp.com
