Sam Green

Australia’s Sam Green and the Time Machine are among the semi-hidden gems intrepid explorers will uncover if they delve into Spotify’s neglected corners. He released a staggering eleven full-length albums between 2013-2018 and these expansive collections, sometimes including upwards of fourteen tracks, cover a variety of songwriting topics while remaining somewhat conservative musically. The restrained bent in Sam Green’s music doesn’t mean there’s any sort of crippling sameness infecting his discography; he understands well how to incorporate subtle variations into each performance. Listeners’ ten favorite tracks, as listed by Spotify, are a fascinating window into his creative powers. 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/samgreenmusic?lang=en 

His album Players All Are We has enjoyed much deserved attention from listeners. Four songs alone place in the top ten list. “Have the Seasons Changed?” is an acapella track carried by the power of his voice and the vocal melody. Many writers revisit themes over the course of their careers and Green is no exception. Many of his songs note the inexorable passage of time and its effects though he never adopts a template way of addressing the topic. The plaintive emotion in his voice during this song is affecting without sounding overplayed. “Your Heart is a Diamond” has a mid-tempo pace and a lightly circular arrangement emphasizing chords over melody. 

The vocal melody, however, has a gentle loop matching the guitar work that provides plenty of hook for listeners. Some may judge the song’s central device, comparing a heart to a diamond, as a little trite, but many others will hear it favorably. “Angel of the Morning” is much different musically, it comes across as a little Latin soul, and its light touch helps it glide past listeners. His warm vocal has an inviting sound that relishes each line. “For the Ocean” represents another 2013 album entitled I Think It’s About Time. Much like the earlier “Have the Seasons Changed?”, “For the Ocean” reflects Green’s deep interest in the natural world without embracing any sort of ideology or dogma. It’s the way a poet looks at such things, no great stretch considering his credentials as a published author and has a recurring presence on other releases. Its slightly up-tempo pace breaks with his standard approach.

“Drowning in a Sea of Life” from 2017’s The Time Has Come Again is among the strongest songs you’ll encounter on any Green and the Time Machine release. The songwriting, on each level, fulfills the track’s potential and the lyrics are among Green’s finest. It relies on lyrical repetition that, in lesser hands, would be far less successful. The light Spanish flavor is another recurring musical motif scattered over his eleven Spotify recordings. 

SOUNDCLOUD: https://open.spotify.com/artist/756iEPcEolkzqy58n76bHY 

Newcomers who like his music will be hooked on it for life. Green has the sure hand of a veteran writer and performer; few, if any, of the tracks uploaded to Spotify sound cooked up in the studio. Instead, they come off as if Green knew, before launching the recording process, what he wanted from each track. He’s accomplished that and much, much more. 

**********

Cleopatra Patel

Surat, GJ. (IND) 

5/2021