Sam Shinazzi - Then I Held My Breath Album Review

Review of Sam Shinazzi's album Then I Held My Breath

Sam Shinazzi is a singer/songwriter from Sydney and 'Then I Held My Breath' was originally released in September 2008. The opening bars of 'Today We Lost A Great One' instantly made me think, ah. this guy likes REM, but this thought fades as the album moves on.

Second track 'Forge My Signature' has no real substance to it but is listenable, and 'Blue-Belle' feels somewhat formulaic, almost as if Shinazzi had bought a Song Writing For Dummies book and set about doing just that. I wonder if they do one of those. I must look into it.

Things start to go majorly downhill on 'Girls' where Shinazzi uses the alphabet to list pointless words and girls names, and he does manage to get to Z sadly, he also attempts to use a bah-bah-da-bah chorus to pick things up.. It doesn't work and is just annoying.

The high point to the album is 'Lil Wandering Soul' the height however, is just relative. The album closes with 'Something Great Must Come From This', now I'm not sure if Shinazzi means it literally that something great must come from his third album or he will be dumped by his label. If he does, then with the current economic climate. Sam, you're buggered!

A boring album with no appeal, this album caused me to fall asleep twice, but I'm sure his Mum will love it. it's nice and safe.

Rating 4/10

Pablo Roffey