Album Review

Sam Isaac – Sideways

• 10th Dec 2007

Sam Isaac is becoming a genius. No-one writes about childhood recollections or the way present relationships remind you of your youth, the way that Isaac does. This is comfort food, and God it’s even better than tea and crumpets.

This polished single release of ‘Sideways’ is inevitably weaker and more Radio 2 than the album version. There’s extra “ba-ba-ba’s” towards the end and it all sounds brighter and happier but not necessarily better, although the decorating-cakes video is effortlessly charming.

This release is all about the b-side though. As Isaac says, “I write love songs honey, I write love songs” and ‘A Cinematic Low’ is up there with the best that he’s ever written. It could easily fit on ‘Sticker, Star and Tape’ (one of the lost albums of the year) and contains all the warmth and wit that Isaac fans have become accustomed to.