More than a decade into her career as a songwriter, Samantha Crain remains one of Oklahoma’s best-kept secrets. This despite putting out three albums by her mid-20s, working with the likes of John Vanderslice, and touring with The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, and Langhorne Slim, among others. But that could all be about to change, as indie-music tastemaker Stereogum premiered the Shawnee native’s new single “Outside the Pale” earlier today.
The song — the first to surface from Crain’s forthcoming album Under Branch & Thorn & Tree — is a string-laden beauty, with subtle arrangements (courtesy Mr. Vanderslice) and a politically charged yet inherently personal message.
Here’s what Stereogum’s Caitlin White had to say:
A descendant of Choctaw heritage, the track’s title — “Outside the Pale” — assumes more meaning the closer you listen: “You and I tell the stories the TV won’t release/ They keep us in the wild/ Under branch and thorn and tree.” What a devastating, decimating indictment of the way American pop culture turns a blind, bland eye to the unruly stories of its native and maligned cultures! This is protest music without a formula; rebellion that won’t be nipped in the bud.
That’s some strong (but befitting) praise right there, and perhaps a sign of things to come leading up to the record’s July release.
Listen to the song over on Stereogum, and check out the Under Branch & Thorn & Tree artwork and tracklist below. Also, you might want to go ahead and pre-order the album while you’re at it.
Under Branch & Thorn & Tree:
1. “Killer”
2. “Kathleen”
3. “Elk City”
4. “Outside The Pale”
5. “You Or Mystery”
6. “When You Come Back”
7. “Big Rock”
8. “All In”
9. “If I Had A Dollar”
10. “Moving Day”
Under Branch & Thorn & Tree is out July 17 via Full Time Hobby.
