Album review: Sam Fender’s ‘People Watching’ portrays human condition in storytelling lyrics

Although 2024 is still in the relatively near past, it will confidently go down as one of, if not the best years for music the past decade has had to offer. But with these heights comes the pressure on 2025.

As we near the end of the first quarter there have been a few standouts, but as far as full-length records go, the year has been a little underwhelming. Although, it should be noted that deluxe releases have been on a tear and the first quarter does tend to offer a little less than the rest of the year.

Nonetheless, an 11-track project by English alt-rocker Sam Fender has found itself as one of those absolute standouts.

“People Watching,” released in February, offers the observations and anecdotes of a man who grew up in a coastal town most known for its fishery; the observations and anecdotes of a man who has grown past the old ways of this town and may forever feel conflicted by the past and his roots, bound by blood, here.

Within this broader concept are the sub-plots found in each track. Fender brings lyriThcality back to its first purpose, a continuation of the oral tradition by the means of storytelling – something that I’d argue grants the record much of its charm – while holding multiple concepts and less concrete ideas behind those lyrics.

With every listen, especially of the longer rollercoaster tracks such as “Wild Long Lie,” there appears to be a new layer among the wall of sound production to be found. From light acoustic guitars to screeching solos and the meandering strings to wailing harmonicas, there is simply a lot going on in almost every track. This amount of genuine instrumental diversity is pretty rare in modern production, and it may be my personal favorite aspect of the record overall.

Instrumentally, the simplest track is the finale, “Remember My Name,” but that’s not to say it isn’t incredibly powerful. Defined by all-encompassing brass and the raw power of Fender’s voice, Track 11 is a dedication to his late grandparents in which he recalls their memory and fight with dementia while hoping to see them again someday, even if he doesn’t necessarily know what is next after death.

Not every listener can say they are from North Shields, England, but many can relate to the extremely human experiences Fender relays. He expresses the scattered nuances of this life, the feeling of being lost in the place you once called home, dealing with the complications of what we call love and loss, the battles that come with self-awareness.

The human condition isn’t an easy one, but maybe that’s what makes it so special.