Sam Fender People Watching review: A ‘musical savant’ at his best

Since the release of the ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom. In the last six years, he became a household name after releasing the universally acclaimed ‘Seventeen Going Under’. He won Ivor Novello and Brit Awards, earned two UK No. 1 albums that went platinum, became a stadium headliner, and headlined Reading & Leeds Festival in 2023.

This year, he’ll perform at the iconic Coachella festival, headline four stadium shows in the UK, perform at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July, and ‘People Watching’ will only help Fender’s star shine brighter.

Working with Granduciel, Fender’s latest album draws on themes such as loss, the trials and tribulations of working-class life, grief, nostalgia, regret and addiction and highlights the depth and versatility of the 30-year-old’s talents.

On the opening track ‘People Watching’, Granduciel’s influence is evident. The song was written in honour of Fender’s late friend and mentor Annie Orwin. The track combines a perfect blend of jangly guitars, a pulsating bass line, Fender’s emotive vocals, and a strings section, which adds an extra touch in the bridge.

Throughout the 11-song album, Fender provides an impressive set of tracks. ‘Chin Up’ serves as one of my favourite songs on the album, with its acoustic-driven melody complemented by soaring vocal harmonies and an orchestral arrangement. Lyrically, a brutally honest Fender seemingly criticises himself for his failure to adjust to life as a celebrity when working-class folks are struggling in their day-to-day lives.

‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ highlights how living in the past may not be as exciting as one thinks, ‘Arm’s Length’ features a 70s-sounding guitar riff that would be a perfect fit on a Fleetwood Mac album, along with the excellent backing vocals of Brooke Bentham. ‘Little Bit Closer’ sees the 30-year-old exploring themes of enlightment on a track that includes a harmonica, strings, a gorgeous guitar line in the outro and and an impressive vocal harmony from Bentham and Fender.

The acoustic-led ballad ‘Wild Long Lie’ touches on escapism. ‘Rein Me In’ delivers hints of regret with the lyric “I wish I could tell you everything, but my stomach was too weak” and features a terrific solo from saxophonist Johnny ‘Blue Hat’ Davis.

‘Crumbling Empire’ serves as a political commentary on the current state of the United Kingdom and sees Fender acknowledge that while things may have changed for him personally, he hasn’t forgotten his roots with the lyric “I don’t wear the shoes I used to walk in” particularly telling.

The latter half of the album provides two of the biggest hits in ‘Remember My Name’ and ‘TV Dinner’. The former is a personal track that serves as a tribute to the singer’s grandparents and it’s arguably his best song to date. In the ballad, the sound of bright, jangly guitars is replaced by orchestral arrangements from the Easington Colliery Brass Band.

However, it was Fender’s tenor voice that takes centre stage in what was a masterful vocal performance that retained a factor of vulnerability as the Geordie added an emotive emphasis on the lyric “I pray you remember my name”. I have absolutely no doubt it will become a fan favourite. It’s poignant, it’s emotional, and it’s a masterpiece.

As for ‘TV Dinner’, the piano-led track features gloomy synths, strings and a prominent drum line that is complemented by Fender’s vocals, which resembles an impassioned speech on how musicians are viewed as assets rather than people with a reference to late Amy Winehouse “Like Winehouse, she was just a bairn, they love her now but bled her then” particularly eye-catching.

While ‘People Watching’ experiments with different sounds and styles, Fender’s messages are still as important and impactful as ever, and you can’t help but listen. This may well be an early contender for album of the year and one that firmly cements Fender’s status as one of the UK’s biggest and best musicians.