Tomorrow night, bring eight dollars at eight o’clock to The Gramophone in the Grove and see Oklahoman folk rock star Samantha Crain release her new album, Kid Face. When I say new, I mean that this album is fresh as hell; Crain’s official release date is Tuesday, February 19th, so she’s spending that special day with her friends and fans in St. Louis. We’re honored.

Kid Face reveals the introspective, mature songwriting capacity that Crain has honed in the limited years since she picked up a guitar at 18. If 2010’s You (Understood) was her foray into rock, then the autobiographical Kid Face is a return to her roots, her home, and herself. The record is at one moment a lilting standard suitable for a Midwestern square dance at the town hall (“Never Going Back”), and a wrenching soundtrack to accompany everyone’s existential crisis the next (“Paint”). On Kid Face, Crain’s message might not be delivered as loud or as fast as it was 2+ years ago, but it’s there for those paying attention, and it’s undoubtedly beautiful.

As a fan who has seen Samantha perform multiple times in St. Louis, expect a show of varying tempo with substantial laughter and a bunch of familiar nods from the crowd. Crain has strong ties to St. Louis and the shows, regardless of venue, boast a “living room” kind of feeling. Don’t expect, however, for her to go easy on that stout little Orange set-up. Girl can rock.

Joe Andert-led Indian Blanket (STL) opens the show. Many of you might remember IB from the sold-out First Aid Kit concert at Firebird last year. Expect sad, pretty things out of these guys and gal, and enjoy Andert’s warm stage presence…he’s a musician who seems to make folks glad they showed up. Word on the Internet is that they’ll be a Crain/Andert duet during IB’s set, so if you love bein’ late as hell to shows, make an exception tomorrow. You can sample a bit of Indian Blanket’s work on Bandcamp. I’m hoping there will be more recordings to share in the near future.

Show details and the chance to RSVP here.