While we all may be inside hiding from the heat, Jamie Webster’s new album We Get By is sure to immediately transport you to a festival field that 2020 has harshly ripped from beneath our feet…
The first reaction to this 24-year-old singer-songwriter is that Gerry Cinnamon has found his scouse counterpart. Similar to Cinnamon, Webster tells the story of the working class people describing not only the struggles but the glory of the lifestyle that a lot of our nation are living.
The first song on the album is Down The Road, it gives you a clear impression of the style of music that Webster is going to grace the listener with through this album. A northern familiarity is felt where his accent is seeping through creating comfort in the music.
The next song and a personal favourite of mine is Living for Yesterday which is already one of Webster’s singles. It has an acoustic start with a slow tempo which takes a complete turn when an unsuspecting tempo change hits the listener taking away a sense of predictability that might be expected from this genre of music. With a chorus that is almost certainly going to be heard ringing around stadiums in the future, this catchy single ends perfectly by returning to the acoustic melodies heard at the beginning.
Webster uses the guitars throughout the album to perfectly compliment the music and lyrics. It adds another aspect to the songs creating a layer that completes his music. The positioning of the songs in the album compliments his music well as it doesn’t give the listener the feeling that they are listening to the same song on repeat which can be found with a number of artists.
Sitting around the middle of the album is Somethings Gotta Give talking about the harsh realities of life. He speaks of the unfairness of life for the working class and the reality of dreams creating a melancholy feel which is also felt in Stop Living Blind and is a needed feature of his album.
But following this in the album is the other song battling for my top spot which is This Place. This song is filled with nostalgia and appreciation for your home town. It is a tribute to your place of origin no matter the listener. It has similar origins to Diamonds in the Mud by Gerry Cinnamon but without the specifics towards the certain place. Webster describes the city as his heart and it reminds the listener of the impact your home town can have on a person.
The Liverpudlian singer-songwriter has created an album that will speak to many while keeping it an easy and enjoyable listen. Though a small number of songs could slip through the cracks the majority of the album consists of songs that should feature permanently in your playlists. Though Liverpool seems to be very aware of the 24-year-olds talent, this album is set to capture the rest of the nation soon enough.
Rating: 8/10
By Amber Malley
Feature Image Credit: Modern Sky Entertainment UK