MARCH 2010 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Sam!! Well, Hell… - It’s a long story, so it goes…

album cover

By Molly McCowan

If you’ve ever run through a dust cloud with your mouth open, you already know many of the qualities that Sam!! Well, Hell… has as a band. Gritty and haunting, these angst-ridden songs of lost love and manslaughter will grind between your teeth for days after hearing them.
Headed by Samuel Graf (formerly of Smile and a Shoeshine), Sam!! Well, Hell… focuses primarily on alt country drawls and bluesy croons that would make Johnny Cash crack a crooked smile.
There are three types of songs on It’s a long story, so it goes… Many songs, like the title track of the album, are melancholic reminisces that make you sigh and remember your past romances gone sour. Other songs possess more of a booze-fueled growl, like “Fuck my head up ‘til it quits” and “Killin’ them boys.” And then there are the ooom-pah-pah songs, the ones that dive headfirst into country’s lazy river, drawl and all (the song entitled “Sam!! Well, Hell” shines in this category).
Sam!! Well, Hell…has created an album that taps into a genre of music that the Fort Collins music scene doesn’t have enough of. Along with the likes of Arliss Nancy, this band travels back to their musical roots, paying tribute to the cathartic musings of men who’ve made mistakes. A soulful, rough, and at times chuckle-worthy album, It’s a long story, so it goes…envelops a growing music genre in Fort Collins, providing the background music for carousing, confessing, and combating.
myspace.com/samwellhell2