Sometimes there just isn’t a good video, and during the pandemic, that is becoming the case more often than not, but when a song grabs you, it shouldn’t be rejected simply because no video exists. Enter Sam Valdez and the single, Clean. This is a song about a toxic love affair that should be over, but isn’t, for all of the wrong reasons.  The lyric cuts like a knife-wielding attempt at metaphoric suicide:

“You finally turned up clean today
Your parents brought you bread again
Helped you clear your old Benz
Should I change myself and turn up gone
Because all my friends are moving on
Don’t let me be the only one”

Here, the protagonist struggles with what should be the only choice: to get the Hell out and start over. It’s a scenario that plays out on repeat in bad relationships everywhere. There’s sometimes only a single thread holding things together.

Musically, Clean enhances the lyric with a beautiful little melody, full of echoing notes and reverb. It heats up a bit towards the bridge, but overall, this is a melancholy tune, a slow dance, that sells the lyric well. Valdez’ has a beautiful, dreamy voice, that fits the mood of the song well. She slides into her notes just enough so that they blend perfectly with the instruments. In short: Clean is a winner!

You can find more information on Sam Valdez by heading up to her website, complete with a nice bio, social links, and store. There’s no music to purchase yet, however you can stream Clean and a handful of other tracks from Valdez Spotify collection. Valdez is young but has been honing her songcraft since at least 2016. Let’s hope that a long-player is in the making at some point in the near future.

Note: With Covid-19 still around, probably to be with us for some time, artists like Sam Valdez and many others need your purchases to keep their heads above water. If your situation allows it, consider purchasing more in these tough times. –Vodka