United Kingdom music powerhouse, Sam Fender, released his third studio album, “People Watching,” Feb 21, giving fans a seamless masterpiece after a long four-year wait.
Fender entered the music scene in 2019 with his first album, “Hypersonic Missiles,” which stole the hearts of fans immediately and gained him a loyal fanbase of adoring fans, especially within the U.K. His success only skyrocketed with the release of his second album, “Seventeen Going Under,” only two years later. Fender has made a name for himself, not only in the charts but also as a small town hero.
Since the whirlwind tour that took him and his band all around the globe following his second album, Fender decided to take more time to write and perfect his most recent release before facing the pressures of the industry after being so far removed from the anxiety of releasing new music.
With an 11-track length spanning only 48 minutes, fans were initially shocked at how short this long-anticipated album was; however, once it was available to stream, they were impressed by the density and flawlessness of each song. It is evident the time and thought that he put into every song setting this release apart from almost all new releases.
Before the full album came, the five singles were released over the course of a few months to build anticipation. “People Watching,” “Wild Long Lie,” “Arms Length,” “Remember My Name” and “A Little Bit Closer” were all available before the rest of the album, and while they make up half of the release, fans continuously listened to the addicting new music. Many of his original fans were concerened that the sheer amount of singles would take away from the impact of the new record and take away all of the excitement in getting to listen to the album as a whole. Fender proved them wrong by proving that no matter how many singles an artists releases, the album can still be as jaw dropping as not releasing a single before an album comes out.
Upon it’s initial release it had already broken records that have been held by some of the most popular song writers. In the first week of its release it had achieved the record of the top selling record of a British act in this century, surpassing Harry Styles.
While it was already breaking records, the songs speak for themselves in proving why this title is so deserved. There are very few records being released that could truly be considered perfection yet this proves that it is still possible to create a musical masterpiece.
The title track is the opening song on the album and the first single that was released. Fender has opened up that the song was written after losing someone extremely important to him. The inspiration came from his time that he spent with her at the end of her life and how he cared for her in her final days. The mesmerizing lyrics along with the beautiful harmonies that he paired with the song pull listeners in from the start and he makes sure to hold their attention through to the end of the record.
“Wild Long Lie” is one of the most compelling tracks released. With a run time of over six minutes, listeners get lost in the song and can truly feel every note and lyric with the intense passion in the song. The strong saxophone and guitar take this song to a level that very few can reach. It carries itself and stands out for a reason. Initially this song was supposed to be half the length, however, after returning to it, the band all decided that the longer length added to the strength of the track, which was more than just the right call.
Lyrics like, “Everybody’s dying for their turn to pull out anecdotes fraught with bloody lies/And I’ve gone quiet ‘cause my heart is still choking up from a love I tore apart/Oh, I’ve got so much pain here, so much love/But it’s drowning every inch of my soul” which fill the second verse live in listeners brains and make them want to play it again and again. It is one of the songs on the album that most listeners have had in heavy rotation since its release as a single, well before the entire album was out.
However, while the singles are amazing and help shape the album, the other tracks that carry the record make this a fantastic album.
Track two, “Nostalgia’s Lie,” flows perfectly from the first track and pulls listeners in with catchy lyrics and a steady beat that will always make you feel amazing, even with the depressing lyrics. The bridge of “Before I’m pushing up daisies/Give me a long heady summer/With arms open wide/I won’t take this world for granted/I’ll become what I’ve been asking/I’ll accept the path that lays before my eyes/All my defenses down” bring listeners into the tone of the album perfectly.
“Chin Up,” which directly follows “Nostalgia’s Lie,” has a much darker sound that matches the deep and heavy lyrical content. There is not one part of this song that has a flaw, from the opening with only an acoustic guitar and his voice, followed by the entire band working in tandem to create this all-consuming sound. It is a heartbreaking song following the lives of those that live around him and are struggling through their lives.
The second verse will always be able to bring a tear to your eye with “My friends at home are in pain/Chucky debt, God, I hate cocaine/I keep moving to the rhythm of it/Can’t be responsible for everybody/The marred streets put fire in my bones/People turfed right out of their homes/Our Jackie navigates through the penury/He lost his job again in January/At night, she’s hearing him cry/Getting stains out his shirt and tie/The cold permeates the neonatal baby/Can’t heat the place for fucking love nor money.”
“Crumbling Empire” is the sixth track on the album and is incredibly personal to some experiences Fender has had specifically while growing up in Newcastle. The song was directly inspired by a man that he met when he was in Detroit on tour in 2021. Fender listened to his story and was immediately reminded of his own family. The second verse, “My old man worked on the rail yard/Getting his trade on the electrical board/It got privatized, the work degraded/In this crumbling empire/My mother delivered most the kids in this town/My step-dad drove in/a tank for the crown/They left them homeless, down and out/In their crumbling empire” details how his family was neglected which truly shaped him as a person and in turn a songwriter.
The impact that his family life had on him growing up changed how he viewed the world and how he was treated growing up. He was never someone who expected to do anything remarkable in the world however he flipped the narrative and has become one of the loudest voices in the generation to create necessary change. The song truly is a perfect halfway point in the record that keeps listeners craving more.
The second half of the album is a perfect continuation of an already perfect album. The impact of songs like “Rein Me In,” “TV Dinner” and “Something Heavy” makes it so the album rounds out as a whole cohesive piece that remains connected while having such perfect song variation.
“Rein Me In” keeps an upbeat sound while having the self-deprecation of looking back on an old relationship and tearing yourself apart with old memories. Lyrics like “I’m working myself into a nice warm bliss/All my memories of you ring like tinnitus/If I stop it’s just pain/please don’t rein me in” have such a flow that it feels like a narcotic. You can’t help but crave another listen when it ends.
“TV Dinner” is a social commentary on how people are treated in the media, especially celebrities. Fender has made a name for himself not only for his songwriting but his political stances. He has had at least one song on each album commenting on the state of the world, which is always one of the strongest songs on the album. He brings up singers like Amy Winehouse and how she was chewed up and spit out by society in her short life. The bridge ends with a fast-paced lyrical flow of “Are you wild? Do you have enemies?/A start with no amenities?/A mark that bleeds a legacy?/A spark without tuition fee?/A darkness that they envy?/They frenzy to befriend me/When I die, you’ll sell me/You’ll sell me, you’ll kill me” which drives the song and the message of how celebrities are seen as objects as opposed to living, breathing humans.
The second-to-last track, “Something Heavy,” has become an instant fan favorite. The harmonies create a warm tone through the song with such heartfelt lyrics, which create something that can only be described as beautiful. One of the standout parts of the tracks is the end of the first verse with “She grabbed me by the arm/Kissed me to disarm/The anger that’ve carried like a rock me whole life.” It has one of the most beautiful ways to aid the conclusion to an album.
Yet, the last track, “Remember My Name,” is the definition of a tear-jerker. The song was inspired by the relationship between his late grandmother and grandfather when his grandmother was struggling with dementia at the end of her life. It details the love that his grandfather had for her and how he spent the rest of his life caring for her and praying that she would remember his name at the end. This has proven to be one of the most emotional songs from the singer and left this album on one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful notes that makes you fall in love with him as an artist more and more.
The bridge of the song is enough to pull on the heart strings of even the newest listeners who have may have never heard one of his songs before. “To them, it’s a council house, to me, it’s a home/And a home that you made where the grandkids could play/But it’s never the same without you/So humor me, make my day/I’ll tell you stories, I’ll kiss your face/And I’ll pray you’ll remember my name.”
Fender has been vocal about the content of the album being centered around looking at people’s lives from an outsider’s point of view, and these songs showcase his ability to make you feel so much for someone you don’t even know, from a town that you aren’t from from a part of the world that you may not even know exists. The magic of his songwriting is that it is so specific to his life and experiences in North Shields; however, each person who listens to these songs has some way to relate to each note.
In his short 6 year long career in the music industry, he has created this new standard for music and has instantly become one of the greats with his newer songs only solidifying this title so much more. This album is a masterpiece and an instant classic in the ever-changing music scene.
