What the critics are saying

Album Reviews

Buzz Music

"That generosity is the album’s throughline. The Tale of Gaiaisn’t trying to impress with complexity or chase trends. It’s reaching for something older and riskier: sincerity. In a moment where distraction is endless, and cynicism is easy, Sam Stokes offers a body of work that insists on wonder, forgiveness, and connectionas survival tools. It’s folk rock as philosophy, grounded in the dirt but always looking up."

Voyage LA

"What else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Life force. Whether it’s in a recording or on social media or in a live performance, I value sincere, genuine, life force. Un-polished. Raw. Honest. Life force."

Lock Magazine

"Playful one moment and spiritually expansive the next, ‘The Tale of Gaia’ is Sam Stokes at her most ambitious; delivering an album that gets lost in the mess of being human before finding its way back towards hope."

Flex Magazine

"Expansive, heartfelt and often beautifully eccentric, 'The Tale of Gaia' is a record about losing your place in the world and slowly finding it again."

Plastic Magazine

"Los Angeles-based artistSam Stokeshas spent the last several years shaping a musical world where strength and tenderness can exist with equal emphasis. Sam moves between bold emotional expression and quieter moments of contemplation, using songwriting as a way to explore connection, hope, growth and the experiences that bind people together."

Edgar Allen Poets

"The album by this artist is a fantastical, atmospheric, and hypnotic journey from the frist notes of 'The Tale of Gaia'... Ultimately, this album proves that this artist has a unique voice. She has created a body of work that is not only enjoyable but also thought provoking."

KorliBlog

"What makes The Tale of Gaiainteresting is the contrast between its conceptual ambition and its musical simplicity. This is an album dealing with enormous subjects: the earth, human existence, forgiveness, time, unity, and wonder. Yet Stokes doesn’t approach those themes with oversized production. Instead, she uses folk-rock’s more intimate side to make the ideas feel close."

Radio Armazem

"At the heart of the album lies the tension between innocence and disenchantment. The narrative opens with the telluric weight of the title track, a manifesto of compassion built upon subtle dynamics that grow organically."