Sam Buckingham
My Own Horse
Yellow Brick/ MGM


Sydney's Sam Buckingham is certainly one to watch. Sure, there are a mass of female singer/ songwriters out there at any given moment but there are only a handful that can hold one's attention for more than a three minute pop song. To celebrate the release of Buckingham's second EP, she embarked on a magical tour of Oz over winter with fellow Sydney-sider Sarah Humphreys and it's here she managed to win hearts showcasing her love and skill for enthralling audiences with her angelic jazz-infused acoustic sound. On 'My Own Horse' Buckingham again proves her quality.

Buckingham's slinky, soulful jazz pop is one of a kind, further made unique by her cheeky vocal curbed with a strong Australian accent which never sounds forced. Her music is somewhat experimental but the end result is never messy - she is cheeky in delivery but never suggestive. Love Look What You've Done is a perfect example, opening with a groovy jazz bassline covered by her cherub sweet vocal, a delicate banjo appearing soon after. The song then closes with gorgeous and smart layering of 'shoop ba doop' male backing vocals and female harmonising. The sauntering title track sees Buckingham return to those faithful harmonies, but the solo tracks exhibit her precious voice at its best. Train's metaphoric story captivates with lyrics like "You could try and love me but the trains are breaking down." Coupled with the simplicity of solo vocal and sweet keys, you will find yourself humming when you least expect it.

Monika Laskowski