Bone China Saviour is the first of a few tracks that London artist Drew Worthley will be drip feeding us with over the next few months before the release of his second album, due out in September.
Over the past couple of years I’ve heard the song in various incarnations, from its original rough strum demo, drenched in melancholy, to this, a slicker and more produced version. It feels like time may have worked its magic, the raw emotion of the original being viewed through a more reflective gauze, and this has allowed for a little more experimentation and playfulness than before. It’s a playful song, finding meaning in the everyday – in this case fridge magnets – and there’s a beautiful juxtaposition of the high notes and perky percussion meshing with tender sentiment and a deep sense of movement.
Plenty is happening on Bone China Saviour, but it never feels chaotic or full, with each element allowed to shine for itself. Layers of guitar and twiddles of piano dance through a cascade of shifting scuffles, the looping vocals and pulses adding a sense of enchantment to its glassy sleek.
Previous record Ember was a heartbreak album, troubled and fractured, but things have shifted within, and so the music which reflects his internal barometer also has a brighter feel to it. Recorded at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne, mixed and engineered by Dave Izumi ‘who is a total legend’ and produced by Phil Wilkinson it’s a record where numerous talents and voices have contributed to elevating the sound of a man with a guitar to something fuller and richer.
The more expansive and visionary sound was entirely planned. ‘I’ve never seen myself as a ‘Folk Artist’ per se, but when you gig as one man and a guitar it’s easy to end up in that category.’ he says. ‘I really wanted to make sure I didn’t stagnate in an exclusively acoustic sound with this new record. I’m unsure as to what genre we’ve created here but I’m going for cerebral pop/indie pop/electro acoustic pop as starting points!’
Released on Massive Arm Records on July 2nd.
