Sanford: is the brainchild of Brooklyn-based and South Carolina-born musician Jay Sanford. He does all of the writing, arranging, performing (minus horns), and production for his recorded music, including previous original releases: “Figured I’d Ask Anyway” (featured in “Gems on VHS” and “This Week in Americana” spotify playlists) and “Anymore,” both from his first album The View Changes. His upcoming album, Extinguished Dreams, builds on previous influences of Americana, soul, and rock, and dives further into the pool, pulling from more of his wide range of musical influences.
Album track “Wait and See” hits hard from the start, with electronic programmed drums and thick electric bass. “Wait and See” is the story of an addict and, in this case, a love that will not happen. As the singer “falls under,” he deals with the internal monologue analyzing the cravings of love; he ignores the other person, telling them “you’ll break your own heart, if you
fall for me,” — a line adapted from a Hank Williams song.
While the bass is featured heavily and grounds the song (even with a bass solo between the bridges), there are two guitar lines happening in groupings of 5 and 7 on each side (a King Crimson nod), helping keep the song slightly unsettled during the main sections. “Wait and See” helps show that the music of Sanford: doesn’t fit into a box and will shift to fit what
the song and idea needs.
Sanford’s upcoming album, Extinguished Dreams, seamlessly continues from their debut, blending alt-rock, pop-rock, southern rock, retro-soul, and prog-rock influences. The album, thematically centered around dreams and reality, features varied musical styles and rich storytelling, culminating in the ambitious “Resonance Cascade” and a reprise that brings the suite full circle.
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Photo credit: Megan Rainwater
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