Sam Fender

[matrainertje]

7 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Aside from the title track, there’s no big feel good, singalong moments.

To be fair, the title track feels like a B-side off the last one. I've listened to it about 10 times but still can't recall its melody. 

[Yokel Again]

I really like it. Similar kinda level to the last album in terms of score out of ten for me. (Around an 8.5)

 

Although it's not as good as the War on Drugs albums it wants to be. (Aware who produced it).

[Yokel Again]

In fact that's probably a bit harsh. 

[Badlands]

Certain irony in Wild Long Lie sounding very much like Pretty Pimping considering it’s producer.

[NorthernSoul52]

7 hours ago, nikkic said:

Have given the album multiple listens now.

 

I really wanted to like it, the first two albums got played a lot in 2022 and I want him to do well, BUT…..

 

It just goes nowhere. 
 

Aside from the title track, there’s no big feel good, singalong moments. 
 

There’s no Getting Started, Seventeen Going Under or Get You Down. 
 

If he did ever headline, there’s not much here that would really add to or improve the 2022 sub set. 
 

All just a bit nothingy.

That is my takeaway to a point. Works as an album better than anything else, but doesn't carry the same whack-a-mole power you'd possibly have expected.

 

Which I think might be why I like it so much? Means I've got to sit and consider it more than I might usually do with a fresh record. Do tend to be a two-spin and leave-for-another-day man.

[NorthernSoul52]

7 hours ago, matrainertje said:

To be fair, the title track feels like a B-side off the last one. I've listened to it about 10 times but still can't recall its melody. 

Intriguing. It's been stuck in my head since November. Cannot shift it, even if I go a few days without hearing it.

 

God, I love music, and I love that everyone finds different things in it. What a marvel and a fortune to be in that position.

[htafcjim]

Unsure if this has been picked up, but Fender is now playing on the Thursday 3rd July at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62z5884z5no#:~:text=Brit Award-winner Sam Fender,the year on the Friday.

 

 

[NorthernSoul52]

I think it had, though maybe not in this thread exactly.

 

Further fuels the discussion that he might be - or for many, should be - at Glastonbury.

[Superscally]

Just to get the Noah Kahan thread back to being about him being Neil Young if he was put through the Mumfordotron, I won the argument about Crumbling Empire being The Living Years 😉

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24951186.people-watching-review-sam-fender-back-bang/

 

"80s-vibe Crumbling Empire, which almost has a ‘The Living Years’ by Mike and The Mechanics about it, brings some classic rock concluding with a guitar solo."

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Love you @NorthernSoul52 x

[NorthernSoul52]

1 minute ago, Superscally said:

Just to get the Noah Kahan thread back to being about him being Neil Young if he was put through the Mumfordotron, I won the argument about Crumbling Empire being The Living Years 😉

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24951186.people-watching-review-sam-fender-back-bang/

 

"80s-vibe Crumbling Empire, which almost has a ‘The Living Years’ by Mike and The Mechanics about it, brings some classic rock concluding with a guitar solo."

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Love you @NorthernSoul52 x

Absolute cobblers!

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

And to you @Superscally 😉

[NorthernSoul52]

That's the 100,000 sales mark smashed in a week. 

[NorthernSoul52]

And the sales are in - 107,124 for week one. That's bigger than the first weeks of Hypersonic Missiles and Seventeen Going Under - both also number ones - combined.

[aident93]

6 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

And the sales are in - 107,124 for week one. That's bigger than the first weeks of Hypersonic Missiles and Seventeen Going Under - both also number ones - combined.

That's pretty good going that! 👏

[NorthernSoul52]

With no disrespect to The 1975, but those sales are significantly above the cut.

[Johndenis]

On 2/27/2025 at 9:20 PM, NorthernSoul52 said:

Absolute cobblers!

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

And to you @Superscally 😉

It sounds really like it..why is this even controversial. I'm surprised by how pedestrian this guy's music is.

[NorthernSoul52]

Looks like just side-of-stage tix and a few lone solo seats left for London too. Should sell out in the next few weeks.

[NorthernSoul52]

In the interest of checks and balance, clearly frontloaded - it's not in the top five of the midweek update. 

[Skip997]

On 2/28/2025 at 10:40 PM, Johndenis said:

It sounds really like it..why is this even controversial. I'm surprised by how pedestrian this guy's music is.

Pedestrian, predictable, formulaic, unchallenging is what the majority want in music. 

[NorthernSoul52]

I want more Iron Maiden. 

[NorthernSoul52]

A fourteen-song set to kick off Europe, with a few debuts among it:

 

1 Getting Started

2 Arm's Length

3 People Watching

4 Crumbling Empire

5 Will We Talk?

6 Tyrants

7 Howdon Aldi Death Queue

8 TV Dinner

9 Spit of You

10 The Borders

11 Little Bit Closer

12 Seventeen Going Under

 

13 Chin Up

14 Hypersonic Missiles

[MEGABOWL]

Albums really grown on me. But more melancholy than the first two but I like it nonetheless. Chin Up will join the title track in adding to his arsenal of singalonga rabble rousers

[NorthernSoul52]

I was surprised to see Chin Up in the encore. Had assumed he'd be sticking Remember My Name there.

 

But I now have a hunch the latter will remain absent through Europe and America, until he gets the chance to actually have a brass section join him for the UK summer and stadium shows. Properly give it the oomph, so to speak.

 

Crumbling Empire was always an obvious live pick, but glad to see it has made the leap.

 

Howdon Aldi Death Queue can get lost.

[NorthernSoul52]

Looks to be a one-song rotation going on - dropped Chin Up for Nostalgia's Lie on the second night in the encore, then binned it off and added Something Heavy as the opener for the next show.

[MEGABOWL]

3 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Looks to be a one-song rotation going on - dropped Chin Up for Nostalgia's Lie on the second night in the encore, then binned it off and added Something Heavy as the opener for the next show.

Interesting, I thought Chin Up was nailed on to be a regular and a big crowd pleaser. Suppose he’s trying to find out how the new tracks land at this stage

[NorthernSoul52]

Yeah, imagine he's probably going to road-test much one by one on this leg. Clearly thinks the title track and Crumbling Empire are immediate keepers though.