'I can't understand' - Moyes left gobsmacked by Man United decision vs Everton
Man United earned a 2-2 draw against Everton in the Premier League but almost conceded a penalty at the death.
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Sam Fender - People Watching | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
Sam Fender’s third studio album, ‘People Watching’, was introduced harmoniously with the heartland rock title track. Released in late 2024, ‘People
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Sam Fender’s third studio album, ‘People Watching’, was introduced harmoniously with the heartland rock title track. Released in late 2024, ‘People Watching’ doesn’t see Fender neglect his natural aptitude for social commentary, explored on previous albums ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ and ‘Seventeen Going Under’. Instead Fender adapts a state of sentimentality when retrospectively drawing from his upbringing in North Shields.
The album’s second track, ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’, is a highlight on the LP. Opening with orchestral strings which fade into Cranberries-esque acoustic strums, the song houses a nostalgia-baked palette through lyrics unravelling Fender’s complicated connection to his hometown. It’s packed with a yearning for the naivety which only exists in childhood, coming through in lines like: “These streets break my heart / There’s yearning for all my friends who’ve died / Those were the days when we all had nothing.”
‘Crumbling Empire’ showcases a complete pivot from anything Fender has done previously. Favouring twangy, electric bass guitar, setting a steady pace with synths and echoing vocals, it’s a dead-ringer for Lloyd Cole’s ‘No Blue Skies’, partially down to Fender’s use of lower vocal register and the latter half electric riffs recalling The Blue Nile’s ‘Hats’ album. Lyrically ‘Crumbling Empire’ critiques the capitalist attacks on the working class in areas where Sam came of age, drawing on his grandfather’s “rail yard” experiences, referencing his stepfather who “drove a tank for the crown” – a paean to the shackles of classism and poverty which significantly worsened during Thatcher’s premiership in the ‘80s.
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‘Chin Up’ is reminiscent of early Stereophonics with lyrics grappling with mental illness, a subject Fender referenced heavily on ‘Seventeen Going Under’. Backed by a symphony of strings, the song’s affirmational mantra breathes life into the album’s, at times, dour tones. The orchestral flourishes feature again on the Americana-inflected ‘A Little Bit Closer’, as well as ‘Rein Me In’, an uplifting folk song narrating contrasting reflections on Fender’s childhood. ‘Remember My Name’ is a tear-stained ode to Fender’s grandmother, currently suffering from dementia – a centrepiece of an album that dips deep into emotional reserves. This wispy, devastating tribute to memory and lifelong companionship is backed by solemn brass tones, redolent of a war memorial song.
As the title implies, Fender lyrically distances himself from his first-hand experiences on ‘People Watching’, adding a new dimension to his already accomplished repertoire. Still, this album is a quintessential Sam Fender experience – a heartfelt, homegrown immersion of the mundane and extraordinary people and places this dweller was lucky enough to know.
8/10
Dig This? Dig Deeper: Blossoms, Inhaler, Royel Otis
Words: Robin Murray
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