Sam Burton - I Can Go With You

Favorite Songs: I Can Go With You, Why Should You Take Me There, Further from the Known, Stagnant Pool, Tomorrow is an Ending

Hailing from the jagged red rocks of Utah, Sam Burton and his 2020 album, I Can Go With You pay homage to the American troubadour. The album itself seems like an anachronism — a glitch in the timeline of music. The reverby, tube-amp acoustics that sustain the album are impressively faithful to 1950-60s recording techniques. Each song flows into the next with a solemn and reflective consistency — a quality of great country albums such as, Townes Van Zandt.

The album opener, Nothing Touches Me, sets the pace with its echoey, Roy Orbison-esque vocals. I Can Go With You, harps on the gentle and atmospheric melodies of the late John Denver with its subtle piano lead. With the introduction of a pedal steel guitar, Further from the Known delivers a cosmic aura immediately reminiscent of late 60s country music. On the track, Stagnant Pool, Burton exhibits his dynamic musical range, producing an upbeat melody and a guitar style similar to that of Glen Campbell. Burton concludes his debut LP with Tomorrow is an Ending, a song that perfectly encapsulates the album — where his signature reverb guitar and vocals are once again complimented by punchy, hypnotic drumming. Kacey Johansing, who offers vocal support on the Album’s intro song, Nothing Touches Me, comes back in to sendoff the album with background vocals.

My appreciation for this album, however, extends well beyond its individual components. Growing up with a musical family and a father enamored by Appalachian folk music, my adolescent ears quickly became acquainted with the gentle strumming of acoustic guitar and soft, rustic vocals. Long summer nights were sonically infused with renditions of Jerry Jeff’s Mr. Bojangles, John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High, and most intimately, Pete Seeger’s Shenandoah. When I first stumbled across Sam Burton’s, I Can Go With You, I was hit with an intense wave of nostalgia — a connection with my younger self that I had never before experienced.

Sam Burton’s album pays homage to a uniquely American sound — one I’ve come to admire, and while many of the artists I’ve referenced have either passed away or fallen deep into musical obscurity, I Can Go With You offers hope that their spirit lives on.