Exclusive album premiere: Giving Up by Sam Vicari

Photo by Christine Fielder

Sam Vicari releases his first proper full-length, Keep Careful, in 2010. Chicagoist called the record “an undiscovered gem” and named it one of the best local releases of the year. In 2012, Vicari moved to Chicago from nearby Crown Point, Indiana, and immediately began recording his second album. Heart Explosion was independently released in the summer of 2013, accompanied by weeks of national touring and airplay on Bagel Radio (San Francisco), WLUW (Chicago), KXSC (Los Angeles), KPSU (Portland), and many others.

Vicari’s third record, Giving Up, is a winner. Vicari’s effortless melodicism; punky, crunching guitars; and winsome vocals reminds us of Apples In Stereo. At 10 songs and 26 minutes, it’s a fun-packed blast of pure power-pop energy.

Giving Up comes out next Tuesday on Sip City Records