Sparked by critical kudos and two sensuous sets of songs, Oklahoma singer/songwriter Samantha Crain has already carved out an impressive and well-deserved reputation, despite the fact she’s a mere 22 years of age. This beguiling follow-up, dreamily titled Songs in the Night, follows only a few months after her critically lauded debut, the Confiscation EP, but it represents a forward progress that’s all the more remarkable for the relatively rapid speed of its arrival. Unlike others her age, Crain leans away from a more insurgent stance, maintaining instead a decidedly lowered gaze. Yet, while she opts for unembellished arrangements, the delivery doesn’t belie her enthusiasm; the ebullient surge of songs like “Rising Sun,” “Long Division,” “Songs in the Night” and “Bullfight (Change your Mind)” makes her back country balladry all the more endearing. Don’t mistake Crain for some freewheeling folkie, however. There’s a sense of urgency infused in “Devils in Boston,” while the forlorn sprawl of “The Dam Song” and the skewered theatrics that drive “Bananafish Revolution” show her savvy. Songs in the Night may suggest the sound of nocturnal rumination, but in truth, it’s as bright and promising as daybreak over the horizon.
