Sam Amidon's new album of reimagined folk songs, Lily-O, was released last week to critical acclaim, earning four stars from the Independent and the Guardian, which calls it "subtle and intriguing," and with Esquire UK calling it "magical" and MusicOMH "gorgeous." Now, in a new review from the New York Times, music critic Nate Chinen adds his praise, describing Lily-O as "a hauntingly beautiful new album."

Lily-O was produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson and features the innovative jazz guitarist and composer Bill Frisell, along with Amidon’s other frequent collaborators, bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Chris Vatalaro.

Chinen cites their take on Rosa Lee Watson's "Your Lone Journey" as the song that "brings out the album’s most moving performance. Mr. Amidon sings in a muted voice, trusting the lyrics to make their own impression. The song arrives near the album’s close, so its heavenward glance doubles as a seamless transition."

Read the complete review at nytimes.com.

Ireland’s RTÉ gives Lily-O a perfect five stars. "A refreshing, inventive dynamic is at play, with a ragged glory to the arrangements, given the presence of the immensely gifted guitarist, Bill Frisell," says reviewer Paddy Kehoe. "Bill puts his slightly distorted electric guitar into all the right places, a refreshing counterpoint to the integrity of the acoustic instruments. In sum, Lily-O is a very fine album indeed."

Songlines gives the album four stars, calling Amidon “an almost unfailingly engaging storyteller,” noting that Frisell’s contributions “confirm Amidon’s passion for beautiful sounds and variety, which also comes out in his remarkably varied songwriting.”

In another recent review, Diffuser.fm's Chuck Armstrong writes: "Lily-O is a hard album to describe; on the surface, fans get gorgeous folk, bluegrass and Americana arrangements—but the true meaning of the music lies much deeper. It’s found in the complex bedrock created by the band, with Amidon firmly at the helm."

To pick up a copy of Lily-O, head toiTunes and the Nonesuch Store, where CD and vinyl (the latter due October 28) orders include an instant download of the album track "Walkin’ Boss" and a download of the complete album available starting release day.

Sam Amidon kicks off a fall tour in Seattle this Saturday, October 11. The tour includes a number of shows with Frisell and Ismaily. See below for all of the currently scheduled dates; for additional details, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

SAM AMIDON ON TOUR

* w/ Bill Frisell and Shahzad Ismaily