Review Summary: A rough-around-the-edges contemporary folk EP with a passionate vocalist. Sound familiar?
So Ed Sheeran’s officially become an international pop star. From his debut album, he’s been nominated for a Grammy (which he either should have won or lost to James Blake, with no other option being justified), toured the world and been featured on more than one film soundtrack. And from this oversaturation a million small imitations were formed. Enter Freddie Wilson. The 14 singer-songwriter began his musical career barely half a year ago, and his debut EP “Northern Lights” arrived somewhat tepidly. And while attention hasn’t come easily to the young artist, he appears to have persisted in the realm of self-promotion. So is this EP worth your attention, especially in light of the world’s apparent plethora of English (to be fair, Wilson’s Scottish) singer-songwriter guitarists?
Well, that’s an interesting question. On first listen, you’ll likely notice that the thought that’s gone into the EP’s aesthetic is bordering on Sam Smith levels. Recorded live, all the songs boast a similarly intimate feeling, with the lightly strummed chords taking a backseat to Wilson’s decidedly worn and creased voice. This can be a blessing and a curse for the EP. For fans of folk-pop or the aforementioned Sheeran in particular, this EP will sound familiar and wonderful. For fans of more classic and refined guitar-toters (e.g. Bob Dylan), the EP can in some points sound like pandering. The lyrics themselves can often be quite strong like on tracks “My Alcoholic Sweetheart” and “Let Her Go,” but aren’t uniformly good. The first track, assumedly an ode to his child (which he has at 15?), is borderline grotesque, with the first line (“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me/since I saw your head pop out of your mom’s body”) giving too much detail, without much emotional payoff. Other songs do a good job of crafting stories, but there are a great deal of lyrical tropes on here, doled out with an inherent desperation. When Wilson sticks to bold storytelling, like on “My Alcoholic Sweetheart” he shines, but on other tracks like the title track, his strengths are mitigated by clumsy application.
The real question that lingers over this EP like a London cloud is the necessity of it all. Does Wilson bring enough of a narrative edge or a pop sensibility to make this project worth listening to out of all the guitar-driven wannabe pop-singers swimming the internet music pool? The answer to that, at this point, is kinda. If I were to give Wilson one piece of advice, it’d be to experiment, to innovate. Because for all the emotional power in his voice, or the strengths of his songwriting, to really say that he deserves attention amongst the sea of singer-songwriters who employ the guitar as an emotional instrument would be to deny all the work those other artists have done; enormously similar work. Yet, for all the imperfections on this EP (the first track being the biggest), one can’t help but appreciate the gritty recording style and the heart-bearing lyrics. It’s these elements that have made this form of singer-songwriter music so popular, and Wilson has tapped into them.
