While discourse on many topics grows toxic and polarised, it’s the voices who speak plainly about the reality of everyday lives that provide some sanity and make us feel heard. Enter Sam Fender, whose straight talking and pride of his working-class roots has seen him emerge as a figurehead for the younger generation, who at times feel unheard and underappreciated.
Fender rocketed to stardom with his 2019 debut Hypersonic Missiles, which paired cutting takes at the political elite with a huge, spacious indie rock sound that harkened back to Eighties era Springsteen. With his follow up, Seventeen Going Under, Fender embraced introspection, covering adolescence and childhood, mental health and broken families, all from his point of view and lived experience.
On Fender’s latest, People Watching, the personal exploration is taken further yet. Here, Fender takes a seat in the corner and also casts his eye over the lives of people and places around him, drawing heavily on everyday observations. The title track opens in an upbeat tempo, setting a quick pace as Fender recounts visiting his hometown after arriving on the public stage, and pays tribute to a late friend and mentor. It’s an impassioned, heartfelt tale that embodies Fender’s characterful style.
Over the expected, reverberating chords are touches from Adam Granduciel, of The War On Drugs, who coproduced the record and provides rustic, soulful inflections in the production. The combination comes together gracefully, and “Nostalgia’s Lie” follows in a more laid back, mid-tempo groove.
Elsewhere, “Chin Up” catches the eye with a captivating, ascending progression in a rousing chorus. Haunting, swelling strings enter, providing an early compelling moment in the proceedings. Further on, People Watching hits its stride on the homestretch as “TV Dinner” serves a murky, bluesy tune steeped in attitude.
By the time “Remember My Name” draws to its cinematic, captivating close, it has long been clear that Fender demonstrates once more his well-earned reputation as one of the most compelling songwriters of his generation. Not so much a reinvention of his sound, but a solid, sincere evolution that builds on his previous work, coupled with subtle, deftly added new layers. Full of moments that stay with you and reward further listens, People Watching is without doubt an early contender for album of the year.
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