SAM GLUCK
I May Well Have Lost Already
(4626132 Records DK)
Sam Gluck's debut album is an open and honest exploration of heart and mind. With just an acoustic guitar to express himself, we are taken directly to this singer-songwriters innermost concerns. It is up close and personal, Gluck never pulls his punches.
The title song may be a frank meditation on life and death, the artist's place in the eternal scheme of things and the importance of a loved one. If that sounds like a lot to take in then 'Be Grateful' is direct and self-explanatory, Gluck is wise and practical: ('...it may not seem like much but it's a hell of a lot'). He is right, to even be here and to be listening to this music is a rare and special thing.
On 'Mend This For Me', Gluck delivers some of the starkest lyrics to ever make it into a post-break-up song. He can be critical of the former loved one, but when he turns that criticism on himself it's a powerful blow '...I should have fixed myself already before falling in love with you so heavily.'
There's further anguish on 'Saying Goodbye Is The Hardest Thing To Do' (a self-explanatory title), where Gluck feels the aftershock of a relationship ('just because I'm innocent doesn't mean I'm free/the shackles of love bind for eternity.) He is devastating in his directness.
'I May Well Have Already Lost' is a compelling introduction to an artist that delves so very deep into themselves to express their emotions. In all of its rawness and all its confusion and sadness, it will pull at you and you will recognise yourself in Gluck's words. Despite its title, this is a winning debut.
