Sam Fender

Whittling down close to 70 songs, around 50 of which were recorded to some degree, Fender cherry-picked eleven songs that – whether he intended it or not – provide a rich picture of exactly where and who he is at this moment in time: the people and events that have shaped him, the word around him and the loves, passions and beliefs that drive him.

The opener and title track ‘People Watching’ is simply a masterpiece. It is Fender’s classic signature style, almost transporting us back to his first album but now with an air of self-assurance that feels infectious to listen to. As per Sam style with catchy and relatable lyrics – we’ve all watched out of the window reflecting and thought about the people we’ve seen even for a fleeting moment.

‘People Watching’ finds him travelling to and from a palliative care home as his lifelong friend and mentor, Annie Orwin passed away.

“She was like a surrogate mother to me. She ran a drama group on Saturdays for kids in the community centre and was the first person who ever really believed in me,” he recalls. “As I grew up, we became friends. We’d share a bottle of wine and just bitch about the world. She was larger than life and I loved her to pieces. When music started kicking off for me, she’d always be like: ‘Why haven’t you mentioned me in interviews? When are you going to thank me in an acceptance speech when you’re winning those awards?!’”

Track number two ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ is intriguing from the second it kicks off; this Stone Roses style John Squire-like riff opening the track and as we move further into the track we’re met with a steady pace which reflects the reminisce atmosphere created by the reflective-themed lyrics.

‘Chin Up’ follows appearing to be influenced by ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’ era but feels like we’re seeing the next stage of Sam’s journey with an aura acceptance and maturity within each lyric.

‘Wild Long Lie’ has similar chords to ‘Spit Of You’ – feeling almost like an extension of this song, but with a dark, sombre vibe. ‘Arm’s Length’ mirrors Fender’s character; it is truly the roots of who he is and it’s one I’m sure many can resonate with. The lyrics are one I know many of his fan’s will sing arm in arm across his summer shows.

The track I really felt the strongest, deepest connection to was ‘Little Bit Closer’ – absolutely superb intro with the layering and sections in the instrumental with lyrics suggestion Sam is fully letting his guard down and the passion within his vocals during this one is one you can feel washing over you as it plays.

Fender’s third album finishes on ‘Remember My Name’ a track that I think marks him first as a vocalist, second as an instrumentalist. A love letter of dedication to his late grandparents with sentimental lyrics coursing through leaves not a dry eye in the house.

As Fender summarises “It’s just a collection of songs about the human experience.”