10 September 2010
IndieLondon.co.ukJack Foley

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A collection of future pop songs that nod to pop, rock, steamy soul, '60s Bay Area psychedelia and West Coast sunshine melodies, it's a really great listen that showcases the [belated] arrival of a major US talent. The lead single, Self Preservation, was an instant IndieLondon single of the week upon hearing it... a swinging, ‘60s pop-infused collection of classic riffs, handclap beats and slinky melodies. AM's vocals were great (supremely laidback), while the chorus was a perfectly honed little gem that married retro values with one of the really great guitar riffs. But it's just one of many highlights on an album that variously can be compared with the likes of The Beach Boys, Beck, My Morning Jacket and Paul McCartney.
For those that want to find out more, AM is an American through and through, having been born in Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently making a home in LA. That said, his musical influences range far and wide, a point he's quick to attribute to the successful contribution of his band on the album. "They really delivered on this album," he says. "Before we got together to go over the songs I made everyone in the band a hand-picked playlist of everything I had been digging on in the last year: obscure Italian soundtracks and Brazilian music, psychedelic Turkish folk, deep cut soul and groove."