Album Review: Sam Fender - People Watching
People Watching marks Sam Fender’s most focused and concise album to date, a powerful and emotionally resonant record that cements his place as one of the UK’s most distinctive voices. Blending raw storytelling with cinematic production, Fender delivers a deeply personal exploration of class, memory and identity, all wrapped in a sound that feels both expansive and grounded.
The album sees Fender tightening his songwriting and leaning into a more deliberate, measured approach. With production from Markus Dravs and Adam Granduciel, the sound palette subtly expands. There’s a newfound spaciousness in the arrangements, allowing the weight of the lyrics to land without being lost in the noise. It’s still unmistakably Sam Fender – urgent, melodic, emotionally charged – but there’s greater control and clarity throughout.
At a lean runtime, People Watching moves with real purpose. Every track feels like it belongs. Whether reflecting on austerity Britain or grappling with personal contradictions, Fender sounds more precise and self-aware than ever before.
Standouts like "TV Dinner" and "Crumbling Empire" highlight this sharpened focus, pairing vivid lyrical snapshots with confident, atmospheric instrumentation. But it’s the final track, "Remember My Name", that delivers the album’s most lasting impact. A moving tribute to his late grandparents, it channels a century of British music – from brass band tradition to post-war folk – into something deeply personal. Backed by the Easington Colliery Brass Band and filled with aching nostalgia, it’s a moment of pure catharsis that ties the album together with remarkable emotional weight.
What makes People Watching resonate so strongly is that it doesn’t feel like a reinvention. It’s a natural step forward – clearer, more refined, but still rooted in the grit and soul that made Fender’s earlier work stand out. The anthems are still there, but they’re now flanked by quieter, more thoughtful passages that give the record space to breathe.
Ultimately, People Watching is Fender’s most complete work to date. It’s confident without being overblown, emotionally direct without slipping into melodrama, and filled with a deepening sense of purpose. This is the sound of an artist honing his craft and finding new strength in restraint.