Album Review: Lewis Watson – The Morning
2 min read
Lewis Watson isn’t just another one of these internet sensation kids wanting to find fame and fortune. Yes, he’s built up a legion of fans by posting videos on YouTube. Yes, at 21 he’s already got a great voice which speaks to his youthful counterparts. But what really sets Lewis apart is his ability to sing beyond his years. He’s kind of a Jake Bugg for the sweet and innocent, and there’s a definite market out there for what Lewis brings to the table.
The U.K singers debut album, The Morning, comes off the back of 5 EP’s that have been released over the last couple of years. These EP’s helped Lewis hone his ideas and sound, and have really benefitted his first full-length record. The album starts off with Stones Around The Sun, and immediately shows off Watson’s gift for placing vocals in interesting arrangements over the music. The clever use of synths to build up the chorus is used to great effect and turns an otherwise acoustic track into a different beast altogether. Outgrow is a song that might seem strange to some (he’s only 21 and singing about getting old), but like so many songwriters, it just shows his wide breadth of reality and skill for getting into other mindsets. The gentle guitar picking is something Ben Howard would be proud of and the chorus has an essence of Michael Jackson about it– a good mixture.
There’s a good bunch of songs here, but with Lewis still learning his trade, the album does feel a little labored now and again. Sink or Swim feels like it needs some life thrown into it (although does feature some nice melodies), and Windows is a little too clean cut for its own good.
These moments are just fleeting however, and more than made up for with album closer Castle Street. It’s a lovely song about the end of relationships, perfectly wrapping up the record with an insight to the dying embers of a love fizzling out. The lyrics here are strong and full of imagery, and a testament to Watson’s skill at finding fleeting moments others can relate to: “trying to climb these narrow stairs, we stop ourselves from splitting hairs”.
With Lewis at the beginning of his career, this album shows a wisdom that should keep him around for a while. It has a maturity that many artists his age are missing, and with this he has created a blueprint to craft his future musical path.
