Music-news.com review: Sam Hare Down To The Sea added: 3 Apr 2010 // release date: 19 Mar 2010 // label: Self Released reviewer: Andy Snipper I have seen Sam Hare around and about for a couple of years, often with either Ian Siegal or Matt Schofield and I was looking forward to this album’s release with a very rare sense of anticipation; the album hasn’t let me down – it really is rather fine. Sam is a guitarist with a soulful and languid style and his vocals are not too far away from Stevie Winwood in that throaty and gently persuasive style that he has. Coupling it with Joe Glossop’s Hammond organ took me right back to my youth and I found the whole album eerily reminiscent of some great music and wonderful times. There are some moments here that are easily as good as The Band or Traffic and few that are 'bad’. 'Stealing From The Queen’ has a big sound with a great shuffling rhythm and 'Her Time of The Day’ is a lovely observation and really lets Sam Hare’s brother Fergus lay down some fluid and melodic bass while the organ chimes and carries the break in a classic manner. 'You Just Bring Me Water’ sounds as though it should be a love song but it is actually a bitter song of the difficulties to be found in relationships and 'Blue Eyed Boy’ is sparse and simple but with a wonderfully understated organ sound. 'Moving Through Georgia’ is a big rolling country-Blues and brings all of the band together. One of the nicest things about the album is its understated nature – there aren’t any big statements or huge solos and the playing is always showing off the songs rather than the players which is rather refreshing but the playing is undoubtedly excellent and a few times I found myself thinking that the musicians sound like lifetime veterans. I especially liked Mimi Hajime’s drumming for the fact that it was ever-present but never actually took the lead – a combination of a talented drummer and, I suspect, some very able production courtesy of Simon Law and Sam Hare himself. A 'Saturday Evening Mellow’ kind of album and one that has already been getting a lot of listens – I expect a lot more in the future as well.