Faster

Samantha Fish

A southern belle with cathartic guitar chops and soulful vocals, Kansas City native Samantha Fish turned heads when she burst on the blues music scene a dozen years ago. Innately inclined to expand her sound palette and splice genres together, on her latest album Faster she features 12 pop-rock oriented original songs linked by an underlying theme of empowerment. The opening title track crackles with heartbeat-raising flirtatious swagger, while a snarling guitar riff drives the take-charge vibe of “Twisted Ambition.” “Crowd Control” is Fish's dreamily rootsy reflection on vulnerability, and the album closes with “All the Words,” a stripped-down, poignant ballad about failed communication. All in all, this is a fun, often flamboyant collection of songs. It showcases Samantha Fish as an adventurous musician and earthy presence at the top of her game. Her talent for entertaining artistry shines throughout.

- Ken Wright