February heralded the long-awaited third album from North Shield’s favourite son, Sam Fender. People Watching, released via Polydor Records, is an eleven-track chronicle of the ever-wilted, withered Britain that Fender has come to speak both for and against. Ranging from jubilant and anthemic to introspective and, at times, even scathing and swiftly back again, People Watching is an intimate exploration into Fender’s morals and memories, with a theme of vulnerability at its epicentre.
Through People Watching, Fender firmly cements himself as the most soulful of contemporary class critics. The album acts as a vessel for introspection, which, when blended with searing social and political commentary, is an accurate soundtrack for the UK’s current climate. With lyrics detailing what some would call the mundane and the monotonous and his Springsteen-like ability to find heroism in the struggles of daily life, Fender crafts a uniquely personal sense of relatability. That being said, the success of his previous two albums has forcibly rendered Fender to view his life back home through a periscope. However, this newfound sense of detachment is only another trick in Fender’s ever-burgeoning lyrical book.
Fender’s North-Eastern reaches, when married with synths, acoustic guitar, and scores of saxophone solos, cultivate a sound as euphoric as it is heartrending. Prominent album standouts entail the rousing rally of a track, “Chin Up,” with its notable nods to nineties giants, namely The Verve. Bearing similarities to his earliest releases like “Poundshop Kardashians,” “TV Dinner” is a lamenting condemnation of today’s celebrity culture. A candid, piano-lead chant detailing the media’s mistreatment not only of Fender but also of artists such as Amy Winehouse, “TV Dinner” ominously verges on the dystopian but is softened by a flurry of sparkling synths. Yet, the sheer prowess of Fender’s musical ability comes to a head as the album comes to a close. The closing track, “Remember My Name,” is an ambient and heartfelt nod to Fender’s late grandparents and his beloved North Shields. Emboldened by the horns of the Easington Colliery Band, “Remember My Name” is Fender at his most evocative and emotional.
People Watching can be christened as Fender’s most impressive work to date. Lyrical defiance, when coupled with music that will undoubtedly suit his sell-out stadium successes, makes People Watching the soundtrack of modern Britain and Fender the lyricist of a generation.
“Sam Fender Leeds 2019” by Richard Nicholson from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.