Daffodils & Dirt
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- The Copper House (London)
- The Old Rectory (Dorset)
| Daffodils & Dirt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by Sam Morton | |
| Released | 14 June 2024 |
| Recorded | January 2022 – January 2023 |
| Studio |
|
| Length | 43:17 |
| Label | XL |
| Producer | Richard Russell |
| Singles from Daffodils & Dirt | |
| |
Daffodils & Dirt is the debut studio album by Sam Morton, an English music duo consisting of actress and singer Samantha Morton and record producer Richard Russell.[1] It was released on 14 June 2024 through Russell's record label XL Recordings.[2] It received universal acclaim from critics.[3]
In 2020, Richard Russell heard Samantha Morton on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.[4] Russell reached out to Morton, hoping to sample her spoken passage for his collaborative project Everything Is Recorded.[4] They then began making music together and formed the duo Sam Morton.[4]
In 2023, Sam Morton released two vinyl-only singles: "Hunger Hill Road / Ghosts Are Dancing" and "Supplication / Headbouncing".[5] In 2024, the duo released "Cry Without End", their first track that has been made available digitally.[5]
Daffodils & Dirt includes a rendition of Johnnie Ray's song "The Little White Cloud That Cried".[6] UB40's Ali Campbell provided guest vocals on "Broxtowe Girl".[6] The album also features contributions from Alabaster DePlume, Laura Groves, and Jack Peñate.[7] The album's cover art is an archive photograph taken by Nick Waplington.[8]
Samantha Morton directed the music videos for "Cry Without End" and "Let's Walk in the Night".[9][2]
On 18 May 2024, Sam Morton performed the song "Let's Walk in the Night" on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland.[10][11]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Hot Press | 9/10[8] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[12] |
| MusicOMH |   [6] |
| The Observer | [13] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Daffodils & Dirt received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[3]
Shaad D'Souza of The Observer commented that the album "captures the uncanny prickliness innate to all the best trip-hop while folding in elements of dream-pop and no-wave, resulting in an unnerving, intoxicating listen."[13] He added, "It's eclectic and, by its skyward-looking spoken-word end, surprisingly invigorating."[13] John Murphy of MusicOMH called it "one of the most startling albums of the year."[6] He added, "Hopefully, Sam Morton won't just be a one-off collaboration, as chemistry like this is rare to find: a second instalment would be most welcome."[6] Matt Young of The Line of Best Fit stated, "Daffodils & Dirt is an album that exudes an overwhelming sense of light, casting out the shade and destroying the darkness."[12]
Daffodils & Dirt was included on the list of 2024's best record sleeves at the 20th Best Art Vinyl awards.[14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Samantha Morton and Richard Russell, except "The Little White Cloud That Cried" by Johnnie Ray.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Highwood House" | 1:28 |
| 2. | "Hungerhill Road" | 4:16 |
| 3. | "Purple Yellow" | 4:23 |
| 4. | "The Little White Cloud That Cried" | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Kaleidoscope" | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Cry Without End" | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Broxtowe Girl" | 4:10 |
| 8. | "Let's Walk in the Night" | 3:58 |
| 9. | "Greenstone" | 3:23 |
| 10. | "Double Dip Neon" | 4:28 |
| 11. | "The Shadow" | 2:15 |
| 12. | "Loved by God" | 3:16 |
| Total length: | 43:17 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[15]
- Samantha Morton – vocals, instrumentation
- Richard Russell – production, instrumentation, recording, engineering
- Ali Campbell – special guest vocals
- Laura Groves – additional vocals, instrumentation
- Alabaster DePlume – instrumentation
- Sonny Russell – instrumentation
- Tic – instrumentation
- Jabs – instrumentation
- Jack Peñate – instrumentation, additional engineering, mixing
- Joe Brown – instrumentation, additional engineering, mixing
- Andrea Cozzaglio – additional engineering, mixing
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Nick Waplington – front cover image