With a timeless discography in a modern world, Sam Fender’s third studio album People Watching is welcomed with open arms. Delving into hope, grief and solidarity, a mosaic of emotions is skilfully pieced together. Like a mirror ball, every version of himself is reflected. Beneath a candid light, this array of songs evokes the conflicts of nostalgic desire and the heartache that accompanies love. This might just be his most honest album to date.
Naturally, we kick off with title track, ‘People Watching’. Fuelled with electrifying riffs and rambling beats to a drum, this prelude provides a continued certainty to the burning embers of a raring, yet introspective powerhouse. Despite taking a three-year hiatus, Fender’s talent continues to blaze in controlled explosions. A critical declaration is embraced by violins. ‘I fear for this crippled island and the turmoil of the times’ blisters on the tongue. Leaving no time for the words to linger, its movements are suspended by Adam Granduciel’s fever pitch strings, shifting the melody into a supernova of sound.
Notes simmer down from one song to the next as ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ makes its debut. Taking a softer approach from the former, a Cranberries-esque fingerpicking concocts an ambience of reminiscence. With gentle flits around a chorus, Bentham’s harmonies intertwine with the raw vocals of Fender. ‘What is this place, can you take me back to somewhere darling’, an eager plea of an impossible request captures a longing to retrace a moment in time. Summer air is evoked through guitar frets of sunlight. A distant relative of ‘All Is On My Side’ has been born. The new anthem of a warmer season.
‘Chin Up’ keeps the ball rolling. The strap of an acoustic is slung across his back with composition beyond his years. ‘Two steps I’m walking to the rhythm of it’ microscopes the secondary nature of a stiff upper lip mindset. ‘Sometimes it’s healthier to wallow in it’ is Fender’s attempt to transgress from these cold-cutting ideologies. Moving with the tide of emotion. Our finest writer digresses to a story of a ‘Wild Long Lie’. Spills of watercolour on an archived page reveal an intimate narrative of a drunken night with old friends. ‘It’s that time of year again, when your past comes home and everybody I’ve ever known wants it large’, a stinging sentiment of familiarity. Feelings are quick to turn from sweet to stagnant in an intoxicated state. ‘I’ve got so much pain here, yet so much love but it’s drowning every inch of my soul’ paints a burden that curdles on the surface of your throat.
Acidic and full-fleshed, Fender and his band embrace ‘Arm’s Length’. So lyrically profound, ‘Do you have to know me inside out’ is a question that ruptures a lung to cease oxygen. The simplicity of the melody allows lyrics to shine through in all their glory without shadows of instrumentals intercepting. ‘I’m selfish and I’m lonely’ capsulates an overstayed avoidance, ready for confrontation. Fender possesses a guttural self-awareness that leaves a pit in your stomach that you just can’t shift. One listen will get stuck under skin. While ‘Arm’s Length’ is about keeping things at a comfortable distance, it feels as though this is a track that people will keep close to their hearts.
‘Crumbling Empire’, the definition of 80’s heartland rock. It’s clear to see where he has been inspired through his musical expeditions. This track could easily rub shoulders with ‘Streets Of Philadelphia’ and ‘Born To Run’ on a setlist by “The Boss”. While it’s traced with an Americana flair, Fender’s Geordie roots can’t help but sprout from the ground. Polished off with extended riffs of passion, this unshakeable sound could easily become a cult classic. It’s Springsteen made his own.
‘A Little Bit Closer’ and ‘Rein Me In’ waver like candied incense. The charm of jaunty pianos and harmonicas snake between vibrant woos. ‘All my memories of you ring like tinnitus’ hisses from the skin of his teeth. Cracking the cork on the back end of the track, liquid gold of a sax spills and overflows. Fleeting to the west wing, the intricate animosity of a potential “Bond theme tune” slashes with each meandering word. Dystopian synths announce the incoming of ‘TV Dinner’. Reoccurring piano chords slink down the line as Fender’s political agenda dusts off its knuckles. Driven by an outraged disposition, he slams the exploitation of celebrities and the way society strips them of their humanity. A man on a mission, he recites ‘fetishise the struggling, while all the while they’re struggling’ making references to the late Amy Winehouse. Breaking into stretched out notes, you can’t help but for a moment hear vocals that echo the sound of Jeff Buckley. ‘Something Heavy’ is a track, that despite its misleading title, has a sound to take off the edge. Although it’s not a track that could stand alone as a single, it cushions the listener in preparation for the monumental poetry of ‘Remember My Name’.
From the perspective of his Grandfather, Fender pays homage to his late Grandparents. A love letter to them. Tenderly reaching into your soul, it could pierce even the hollowest of hearts. ‘Remember My Name’ encounters a time in which his Grandad cared for his Grandma while she was battling dementia. It’s a ballad that could echo from the external walls of an opera, leaving no eye dry in the house. Sam Fender has gone above and beyond, earning a title as one of the most astounding of our generation. The progressive blend of heartfelt lyrics and compelling vocals are truly beautiful. Faded memories of old photographs are scattered within albums as a classical orchestra intensifies. Each note decorates the sky in a canopy of stars. ‘I’ll pray you’ll remember my name’ is belted with heartbroken desire.
This album is a beacon of light in an hour of darkness. People Watching – a new division of time. A time for reflecting, a time for healing, this album runs deep. Sam Fender has shot his life through a lens and aimed projectors at the world.
Sam Fender: People Watching – Out 21 February 2025 (Polydor Records)
Fender – People Watching (Official Video starring Andrew Scott)
