The deluxe edition picks up easily from where we left off - in tears. After ending the album with ‘Remember My Name’, Fender breaks our hearts again by kicking off the deluxe track list with ‘I’m Always On Stage’. This acoustic ballad highlights Fender’s struggles surrounding his newfound stardom and the constant anxiety he faces on how he is perceived, both on stage and in real life, giving us Fender at his most vulnerable. The stripped back production and acoustic guitar alongside Fender’s poetic songwriting leads to a devastatingly beautiful track, tinged with a sadness and anxiety that you can’t help but love.
You know it’s going to be a classic Sam Fender song when there’s a piano involved. ‘Talk To You’ is the second deluxe song on the album and has quickly become one of my favourite Fender songs of all time. This is another heavily emotional song which focuses on a desperate attempt to reconnect with a lost lover. Music legend Elton John features on the piano, and provides another iconic Sam Fender piano riff, one that is reminiscent of Fender’s ‘The Dying Light’ and ‘Poltergeists’. Another piano means another masterpiece from wor Sam.
Another piano means another masterpiece from wor Sam
‘Fortuna’s Wheel’ follows. In the same strand as ‘I’m Always On Stage’, Fender gives us another raw, emotional song with a stripped back production. Fortuna’s Wheel centres around holding out for fate to take its course. It may be the shortest song on the album, but it is just as emotional and meaningful as the rest of the tracklist.
‘Rein Me In’ marks the halfway point for the deluxe tracks. It was first released on the regular edition of People Watching and didn’t originally gain much traction. However, after supporting for Fender, up and coming artist Olivia Dean wrote her own verse for the song and performed it at Fender’s headline show in London. It quickly went viral on social media and became a staple for the rest of the People Watching tour. Many demanded for it to be released for streaming (myself included) and thankfully, Fender heard and he delivered. ‘Rein Me In’ is an amazing duet between two great artists; it’s a real feel-good song that you can’t help but sing along to.
‘Me And The Dog’ is next. It was originally released as a B-Side to the People Watching single, yet it quickly became another fan favourite. This is a classic Fender song. Full of power, emotion, a great guitar riff and political nuances, we wouldn’t expend anything less from him.
‘Tyrants’ was another B-side song that missed out from being part of the original tracklist. It’s another politically charged track by Fender (similar to ‘TV Dinner’ that was on the original album and ‘Aye’ from Fender’s Seventeen Going Under album) that criticises right-wing politics by calling for an uprise against the corruption Fender sees within government. 'Tyrants' is a classic indie anthem that features another Fender guitar solo alongside a heavy rock-n-roll influence. I was lucky enough to see it performed live, and it was easily one of his best performances of the night.
‘The Treadmill’ is another one of my personal favourites from the deluxe album. The penultimate song on the album focuses on Fender’s struggle to “keep up” with his friends as life moves by. This track is catchy, heartfelt and heavily reminiscent of Springsteen. With similar production to ‘People Watching’, it’s a shame this song will never reach the same hype as the lead single. It’s a severely underrated track that you just know would be brilliant when performed live.
Fender ends this champion run of deluxe songs in the saddest way possible. ‘Empty Spaces’ is another tear-jerker by Fender. This song focuses on the devesting effects of loss and the empty space you are left with. Again, Sam Fender impresses us with his lyrical and poetic songwriting to create another heartbreaking ballad that will leave you in tears, yet desperate for more.