You may have already heard the title track of Sam Fender’s newly released album – People Watching – as it soars to the top of UK and international charts. Much like Seventeen Going Under, the song that propelled him to fame, this track seems to be loved and admired by fans and critics alike, with the rest of the album following suit. So what kind of musical magic is Sam Fender sprinkling onto his work for such repeating and resonant success?
Often credited as the ‘Geordie Springsteen’ in popular imagination, Fender ultimately captures people’s hearts through an unapologetic criticism of social reality and its heartfelt lament. He then flawlessly packages this in a form of indie rock which harks back to the classic rock sound of the 80s and 90s, creating music brimming with nostalgic sentiment, but well-anchored in the tradition of calling out social injustice.
What first attracted me to Fender’s music was the militant way he would weave his political stances and retaliation with the delicate storytelling of the everyday. By painting a vivid picture of the everyday man’s social reality, he manages to capture both the powerful personal smallness of mundane life – especially for those who are marginalised or overlooked in society – as well as its profound meaning and importance to those whose life stories he tells.
People Watching, much like its two predecessors, definitely has this same story to tell, but this time Fender adds a dimension of personal emotion which is undeniably cathartic for not only himself, but all of us who have shared in deeply human experiences. People Watching itself speaks to dealing with grief, opening the album on a sentimental note – which comes full circle with the final ode to Fender’s grandparents in Remember My Name. Stories of marginalisation pad out the middle: a gay boy reconciling his sexuality and faith in Little Bit Closer, Fender’s own parents struggling against unemployment in Crumbling Empire, and even mentions of the music industry’s own damaging treatment of artists, such as Amy Winehouse, in TV Dinner.
Sound-wise, fans will be glad to hear the familiar mix of acoustic and electric strings, and persistent bass, which has brought Fender so many comparisons with classic rock staples of the 80s and 90s. While the media has long branded him the modern, English Springsteen, his sound has always recalled a mix of both U.S. and U.K. rock sounds. In People Watching, songs like Little Bit Closer and Chin Up distinctly remind us of an Oasis-style English rock, while a more Americana vibe appears in Crumbling Empire and Arm’s Length. Of course, it may simply be better to say his style is distinctly his own, and no other artist to date has combined sound and content in such a unique way.
Amongst personal recollections and episodes of mundanity, Fender pieces together an indie rock anthology of social reality which clearly strikes a chord with audiences all over the globe. It’s no wonder the album was greeted with such enthusiasm – Sam Fender once again delivers a political musical masterpiece which is, at its core, deeply and undeniably human.
