Sam Fender has been on an insanely impressive rise lately. With his electrifying debut Hypersonic Missiles, released in 2019, and its wildly successful follow-up Seventeen Going Under released in 2021, Fender has developed a strong fanbase that eagerly awaits the release of his third album People Watching. Composed of 11 tracks, Fender takes listeners on an emotionally intense journey as he masterfully explores his narrative.
The title track ‘People Watching’ first dropped on November 15 last year. The song details the idea of a realistic and almost terrifying slow collapse, where everyone struggles to make ends meet. It’s a stronger track than its predecessors on Fender’s last albums, which conjure up more of the sense of an apocalyptic war. Production is also sized to fit Fender’s increased fame, emphasising the enormity of the possibility of chaos within the context of the song.
‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ follows, showing Fender’s talent for both production and songwriting with its descending chords and hypnotic lyricism. ‘Chin Up’ is a strong track for sure, while thematically hinting at the opening. He explores family dynamics in this track with the lyrics ‘the cold permeates the neonatal baby / can’t heat the place for f*cking love nor money.’ The song’s subject struggles to keep their head above water despite difficult circumstances, but there’s still a glimmer of optimism despite the things going on for them.
‘Wild Long Lie’ is reflective and acoustic-driven, a change from the production on past songs. Fender sings about that ‘time of year again’ when ‘the past comes home.’ There’s a hint of folk in this track, which isn’t entirely surprising – Fender talked about his love of 70s folk-rockers once on a BBC documentary. The ‘time of year again’ in the chorus primarily refers to December, when everyone is out on the town and exploring, as ‘everybody I’ve ever known wants it large.’ Fender is pessimistic in this song, both wanting to leave the town and keep his problems close to his chest – exemplified in ‘my heart is still choking up from a love I tore apart.’ In this sense, it sticks to the album’s overall tone.
This continues in ‘Arm’s Length.’ Fender described the song as one that ‘just fell out of the sky’ on social media, one that covers the theme of being both ‘avoidant and flighty.’ The song’s third verse is the clearest example of this, with the whole song able to be summed up with its last line – ‘arm’s length, small talk, and then some company.’ With a desire to be with someone but not have to know them on a deeper level, this is likely one of Fender’s most relatable tracks on People Watching for his young audience. He played a very moving version of the song in Dublin before the album’s release, watch it below!
‘Crumbling Empire’ is yet another contemplative track. Fender’s music has always made it clear that this was his fortune, allowing him to live the straight life after years of struggling to make ends meet – and perhaps nothing is more obvious with this sentiment in his entire discography than ‘Crumbling Empire.’ The metaphors are hard-hitting and impossible to misunderstand as Fender sings ‘I don’t wear the shoes I used to walk in but I wonder where I’d be.’ It is also perhaps one of the more politic-centric songs in his discography.
The final song to be dropped before the album’s full release was ‘Little Bit Closer.’ Fender dives into complex topics again with this one – from ‘panic attacks’ to the mysteries of faith in the second chorus. It’s another one that Fender opens with fragments of memories, followed by a deep chorus. He also directly refers to famous social happenings like Otzi the Iceman in the first chorus. (Otzi is a preserved iceman found in recent decades, whose body was thought to have been frozen for 5000 years). By directly comparing his friend’s mental state to this frozen symbol and asking him to show that he can ‘walk on water’, Fender aptly conveys his skepticism about the validity of faith.
‘Rein Me In’ is a classic breakup track, with ‘TV Dinner’ proving much more fruitful and overall satisfying. Built around tense synths and swings, the song has hints of Radiohead-style influence scattered throughout. Detailing a misspent youth, it’s one of the highlights of People Watching. Referencing Amy Winehouse, the turmoils fame has brought, and the privately educated, Fender lets his most critical thoughts shine through here in a fashion that feels both despairing and extremely real.
‘Something Heavy’ is the bridge between two extremely intense (although in different ways) tracks. An extremely familiar narrative is woven, with Fender pleading with people to remember how important looking after each other is in challenging times.
‘Remember My Name’ is a stunningly slow finish to the album which is unlike anything else Fender has produced. A tribute to his grandparents, Fender proves that in an album that supersedes standard proportions, ‘Remember My Name’ is the true standout track in its restraint.
While Fender does occasionally stray from the topics that he frequented before on People Watching, two things are abundantly clear about this album: Fender will not abandon where he came from, and secondly – fans will adore it in its entirety.
Listen to People Watching now!
