Album Review

Fatherson – I Am An Island

• 7th Apr 2014

Young Scottish indie quartet Fatherson have built a fearsome reputation as a live band over the past couple of years. So this is a debut album that has been eagerly awaited by their growing army of fans, and also by a music press keen to see if the recorded material would live up to the Kilmarnock boys’ stage performances.

The good news is that all of the raw emotion of their lyrics and all of the power of their multi-layered sound, all of the energy and commitment, has been translated onto this album. With many of the tracks recorded as live, or with few takes, the sheer dynamism of Fatherson has been captured very well. Kudos goes to producer Bruce Rintoul (the band’s tour manager) for giving us a sound that is so alive, with every instrument clean and crisp, every lyric precise and clean.

Many of the songs are based around the twenty-something realisation that teenage dreams don’t always come true and the resulting struggle to establish an adult identity that often follows. There is an introspection to the words that is sometimes at odds with the anthemic nature of the music, but Ross Leighton’s emotive vocal delivery carries the day. The result is thoughtful and considered rather than morose. And it is always great to hear a Scots singer perform in a Scottish accent, resisting the horrible mid Atlantic drawl that so many adopt.

Opening track An Island starts softly, with vocals over an acoustic guitar and lyrics telling of isolation, before a crash of drums marks a lovely change of pace and suddenly the big anthemic live sound is there complete with chant along backing vocals. A live favourite, Hometown, follows, this time rocking from the start before falling with a low vocal part over a deep cello. Lead single I Like Not Knowing completes a strong opening trio with another that uses change of pace well. The lyric “I don’t know where we’re going. But I like not knowing” sums up the prevailing feeling of stepping into the unknown.

There are several other very good tracks amongst the eleven on the album. The feedback heavy Mine For Mine sees the band in rocking mood while slow song Dust has higher pitched vocals, a soft interlude in the album’s usually relentless pace. The melodic James, another live favourite, sounds great with its closing refrain of “So go home, sober up, take the weight off your feet and just chill”. And Kiteers is another excellent indie anthem with big guitars and vocal harmonies.

There was a lot of pressure on Fatherson to produce a memorable album, the weight of expectations building with every sold out show. I Am An Island surely meets those expectations, if not exceeds them. This debut album shows that the band have new songs in their locker as well as the fan favourites that have made up the core of their live shows. And I’m sure that there is much more still to come from Fatherson.

Venue: I Am An Island
Support Band: A Modern Way