The Third Eye

Broken Social Scene mainstay Sam Jr. is gearing up to release his sophomore record, Inner Shadow, due May 31st via Toronto-based label Arts & Crafts. Echodelick will handle distribution in the U.S., Weird Beard in the U.K., and Worst Bassist Record in the E.U. 

Inner Shadow is a dark, edgy, and contemplative record, interspersed with Sam Jr.’s signature fuzzed-out industrial rock tones and his melancholic musings on modern living. It’s a record that feels very suited for our era, and Sam Jr. will soon share tour details to support Inner Shadow.

The record was mixed by frequent Sam Jr. collaborator Sebastien Grainger of Death From Above 1979. Inner Shadow blazes through the darkness with an electrifying intensity guaranteed to leave a mark on psych-rock fans.

Sam Jr.’s self-titled 2022 debut album was a captivating blend of nihilistic fuzz-psychedelia—a dish that’s best-served cold. It features flutes, bongos, and wah-wah guitars and draws inspiration from the Stooges, Spacemen 3, and T. Rex. The album crafts a sound that’s both familiar and innovative.

Sam Jr. describes his creative process as follows: “My inspiration for writing songs was sparked by the easygoing nature of ‘The Dude’ from The Big Lebowski. I wanted to capture that spirit in my music. Despite our challenges, I believe in embracing optimism and mellow vibes, and I want that to resonate in my songs.”

The record starts with the disorienting fuzz of “Corpus Cristi to San Antone,” a longer track that shows Sam Jr. digging into the shadow side of America. The industrial feel of the song may remind you of Nine Inch Nails, but Sam Jr.’s approach relies less on Reznor’s harsher noise tricks. Instead, it opts for a smoother but still hazy psychedelic fuzz that will lull the listener into a trance rather than shoot them up with adrenaline.

“YRU” is one of the singles. It features a crunchy guitar riff and Sam Jr.’s plain-spoken vocal approach, which is the essence of self-assured cool. “Why are you so low?” he asks us, along with saying, “You should’ve listened to what they said.” Musically, the song rocks, and lyrically, Sam Jr. addresses us accusingly. Why are we so low? It’s a good question.

“LET’S GO SURFIN IN THE USA” is a unique track inspired by Canadian Sam Jr.’s recent travels in the U.S. I read that he was a bit shocked by the desperation and casual violence he saw in America. The track title provides ample cognitive dissonance when combined with the music. While the low-tuned, fuzzed-out industrial noise is as far from surf rock as you can get, the inherent darkness of the song plays off the sunniness embodied by the Beach Boys that he is probably referencing.

“Get Found” features Tess Parks, a Toronto-based singer/songwriter. Parks’ darkly entrancing vocals are the female version of Sam Jr.’s on the rest of the album, offering a welcome change of pace. 

“I Guess I’ll Just Wash Away” comes next and extends over six minutes, starting with a guitar freak-out. The fuzz is fainter on this song, and the guitar sounds similar to the work of Ty Segall on his new record, Three Bells. The song features my favorite guitar playing on the record. David French adds saxophone playing near the song’s end, an interesting sonic accompaniment to the tune.

The bizarre sound effects that open “Ghost Highway” are excellent, reminding me of the raw industrial noises of musique concrète. Aside from being an excellent name for a song, “Ghost Highway” offers a variety of fascinating sounds to create a highly synthetic – but excellent – psychedelic listening experience.

“Pink Thread On White” closes Inner Shadow, a brief instrumental track with layers of guitar sound that reminded me a bit of the tone and playing on Metallica’s classic “Call of Ktulu” off Ride The Lighting (if you can believe that).

Sam Jr.’s Inner Shadow is a lysergic trip into a darker underbelly of psychedelia that’s good for fans of The Black Angels, Firefriend, and other psych-rock groups who have more affinity with Charles Manson’s version of the Sixties than Peace and Love.

Sam Jr. is a Canadian, so I’m not sure how much of the album was influenced by the cynical mood in America currently. However, as an American, the record feels like a fitting soundtrack for our malaise, though, as Sam Jr. says, he believes in embracing optimism and mellow vibes. If you like Inner Shadow, check out Sam Jr.’s self-titled debut record from 2022 for more fuzzed-out psychedelic madness. Enjoy!

Pre-order Inner Shadow by Sam Jr. on Bandcamp here.

You can support Sam Jr. by finding him on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).

Support Arts & Crafts Records by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

Support Echodelick Records by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or Instagram.

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