This is easy money.
Will Westerman's debut, Your Hero Is Not Dead, is meticulous and unbound by time. It will have devoted followers decades from now fawning over its technical proficiency, lucid lyrics and melodies, and obsessive nods to myriad influences. Distilling sounds as disparate as Thomas Dolby's The Flat Earth, Talk Talk's The Spirit of Eden, and a variety of folk musicians from Arthur Russell to Nick Drake, the 28 year-old Westerman drifts across the artier part of the '70s and '80s soft rock landscape with gorgeous precision.
The British singer-songwriter released successful singles and EPs after winning several "country night" competitions in London clubs. With the aid of noted producer Bullion aka Nathan Jenkins (Sampha/David Byrne), Westerman takes his spacious bedroom pop to abundant worlds while emphasizing every negative space to subtle but thrilling effect. He floats in and out of the frame as both lead and backing vocals, giving the strange impression he is standing inside and next to his own record. His peculiar sound feels lasting, a place for continuous exploration, owing to an alluring combination of his evocative voice, confessional lyrics, and curious musicianship.
It almost seems inappropriate to listen to the record without headphones, a concern which likely stems from my endless walks with the dogs in the spring of 2020. Westerman's cool gaze over his life and the rest of the world--cautious, thoughtful, and pointed--provided 40 minutes of heady respite and resulted in endless listens.
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