2018-04-20

April 20 - 26, 2018 | Orlando Advocate 7
Lifestyle
L.A. Salami The City of Bootmakers
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
London musician L.A. Salami
created a buzz through a
string of EPs leading up to his
acclaimed 2016 debut album
Dancing with Bad Grammar.
Now he returns with his second
full-length project, The
City of Bootmakers, which
continues his folksy style of
social commentary.
Born Lookman Adekunle
Salami (yes, L.A. Salami
is his real name), the singer-songwriter
grew up in a
household that never paid
any particular attention to
music, and he didn’t learn
to play guitar until receiving
one for his 21st birthday. But
he was always attracted to
literature and seems to have a
special affinity for Welsh poet
Dylan Thomas and icons of
the ‘50s and ‘60s, including
Beat Generation authors Allen
Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac,
and folk musicians Woody
Guthrie and Bob Dylan. A
dapper nonconformist, Salami
has been likened to a modern
day troubadour, channeling
his experiences into sharply
honed lyrics, sung over lush
acoustic-oriented alt-rock. All
of these characteristics come
to the fore in his most recent
video single, “Jean Is Gone,”
included on the album as a
bonus track:
Though Salami is primarily
a vocalist and guitarist,
he occasionally switches
over to harmonica, Rhodes
and, according to the album
credits, “ambulance.” His
backing band, the Bootmakers,
includes Simon Nilsson
(guitar, bass, piano, organ),
Petter Grevelius (guitar, bass,
organ, vibes), and Sean Beam
(drums, organ), otherwise
known as Francobollo, a UKbased
Swedish rock band.
The project was recorded
in Berlin with Robbie Moore
(The Mores), known for his
retro sound styled after ’60sand
’70s guitar pop with rich
vocal harmonies—the sound
permeating The City of Bootmakers.
Easing into the album with
the intro “Sunrise,” Salami
evokes a Shakespearean-era
street scene with a jangly
tune reminiscent of an organ
grinder. As the music grows
louder, a group of revelers
greet the dawn with Salami in
the lead, inviting the audience
to experience the wonders of
“the troubadour”—obviously
relishing the moniker he’s
been assigned in the press.
After the revelers fade into the
distance, the band kicks into
the first single from the album,
“Generation (Lost),” a song
about “feeling lost during the
journey of finding yourself.”
Addressing the anxiety of his
generation, Salami croons:
“I’m penniless, but I’ve sold
my soul / I’m restless, but I’ve
nowhere to go / Generation
L, lost in lust / Generation L,
laborious.”
Not shying away from political
themes, on “Terrorism!
(The Isis Crisis)” Salami sings,
“I heard that an ancient book,
inspired him to die / The Jihad
source decoded wrong, enforces
that old line / But when
words contort in certain tones,
Is it the preacher, scribe or
one guy that does the crime?”
Other songs, though seemingly
lighthearted in character,
veer into topics ranging from
gentrification to immigration,
deportation, and discrimination.
But the cheerful pop in
major keys and driving 4/4
rhythms can become a bit
tiresome, making one wish
Salami would break away and
dive into deeper and darker
territory befitting his themes.
That’s why “I Need Answers”
is such a welcome departure
with its discordant melodies
and angst-ridden lyrics as
Salami struggles to navigate
a path through life.
The album concludes on
a similar note with “What Is
This?” Existential thoughts
become mired in practicalities
as Salami sings, “Preachers
remind you that the end is
coming, but the rent dates
comin’, so the end can wait
– what is this? What is this?!”
L.A. Salami’s approach to
songwriting reflects his artistic
bent and roots performing
spoken-word poetry. The City
of Bootmakers is a fine showcase
for this philosopher poet,
with lyrics that dig deep into
life’s inequalities and oppression,
yet are delivered in a
manner that offers hope for
the future.