LA Salami cuts himself as a rather enigmatic figure. He very much embodies the British folk tradition, but is embracing new media in some really intriguing ways.
What you’ll see below is not a music video. It’s Salami’s latest EP, Another Shade of Blue. As near as I can tell, it’s only available as a video playlist that can be continuously streamed (though I suppose if you really wanted to, you could rip it. However, I definitely didn’t say that.) To be honest, I didn’t watch the videos with the songs. Near as I can tell, it’s a few people hanging out in a flat. I’m sure it’s related to the themes of detachment, estrangement, loneliness, love, and youth found here. Or it’s just a video of Salami and his bros having a conversation. Which, of course, embodies all of these things.
So why would you really want to rip it? Because it’s fantastic, that’s why. Salami’s lilting melodies and simplistic fingerpicking call Frank Turner to mind, but it’s his hip hop-esque stream-of-consciousness delivery that distinguishes Salami. “Makes You Wonder,” a song that’s less a critique and more of a gentle chastening of our generation, would fit right at home in the catalog of any of your favorite Last Chance Records artists.
So while I’m ambivalent about the mixed media, the musical side of it is where it’s at.
LA Salami — Official, Facebook, Camouflage Recordings, Watch Another Shade of Blue