September 6th sees the release of Jamie Sutherland’s new album, “The World As It Used To Be.” I’m sitting and having a relaxed listen on the late August bank holiday, as listening to new music is a great activity for unwinding (unless you are in a mosh pit!).
Fresh from promoting the latest Broken Records album released at the end of last year, frontman Jamie Sutherland is once again venturing out on his own as he announces his new solo album, The World As It Used To Be, out on September 6th via Frictionless Music.
Having grown up listening to the likes of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers, acclaimed Scottish musician Jamie Sutherland has always had an affinity with the Greenwich Village scene of New York and the songwriters synonymous with the area. With time away from Broken Records during the pandemic, he began writing songs with a focus on the melody and lyrics, growing from a collection of stripped-back, bare-bones songs to a beautiful and classic-sounding album. The result is his second solo record, entitled The World As It Used To Be, out on September 6th via Frictionless Music. With mixing carried out by Tony Doogan (who has worked with Broken Records on numerous occasions) and mastering by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios, the tone of the record is one that Jamie feels remains true to where the songs came from.
Jamie Sutherland: ‘I self-consciously wanted to write an adult record in the style of John Prine, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen’s later work, and as I have gotten (a little) older, I have found myself gravitating to songs that talk about the sense of experience that I was starting to feel. That things aren’t black and white, good and bad, ecstatic or despairing, that there is nuance in everything, and that detail is most important—all with the knowledge that in understanding a little, there was so much more to learn.
With Broken Records, I have always found writing for a band a challenge—to push the form and be as ambitious with the soundscape. With these solo records, I feel incredibly comfortable working within a set of self-imposed brackets, a set musical palate, and trying to write the best “songs” I possibly could. To try and reduce the form back to its constituent parts and focus on melody and lyric. Instead of being limiting, I found the experience to be freeing, and I am incredibly proud of the results.‘
My Review:
“Start Again” is the single from the album, so you may be aware of it already. It is a drinking song, as we “drink for fear of getting old.” It’s also a song with hope and a sense of renewing ourselves. The chorus has a pleasing melody and, as a feature of the album as a whole, there are layers of different instruments underpinning the delivery.
“Like You Did Before” opens up with a melancholic lyric but an upbeat instrumental. It has a real foot-tapping quality that I would have had to open the album with. I think this is more reflective than the opener; it also touches on drink but lacks the optimism of the previous track. I preferred it, however, as the music rips along at a steady pace and has a solid groove.
“Some Things Hurt a Little More” delivers some lovely guitar chords. It’s more folk in style, stripped down and story-based. This one is all about those ghosts that are in the room with us more and more as we grow older. I believe this was described as an adult-themed album; it is. As we get older, those ghosts in the corridors do become an uncomfortable part of life. Around the 3.50 mark, it picks up with a delightful little melody that uplifts the song.
“You Were My Friend” has a harmonica introduction, and that instrument remains prominent in this buoyant piece. It is a song about missing an old friend who is no longer there. The track infuses some country sounds in a folk storytelling blend. Although lyrically more of a lament, the music refuses to allow it to become melancholic. It’s not Hamlet.
“While I Sleep” is stripped-down folk, a gentle song with a simple sway and a whisper here and there. It’s an intimate song to be heard late at night with a warm chocolate drink while those Scottish winds wail outside.
“Always Be” is a happier song lyrically, as we play with our children at the water’s edge and the guitar picks up the rhythm. It is a song about the seas and sands; it is about being alive and enjoying the moment we have. Like much of the album, it is unashamedly rooted in Scottish soil.
Jamie says about this song: The idea of “home” has been a running thread through my songwriting career, and this is another example of it, the idea of physical geography and emotional ties to it forming an idea of home,’ he explains. ‘People focus on where they want to be buried or ashes spread because they want to feel tied to the places that they feel connected forever. To feel comfort in that sense of permanence. My place is the Moray Firth coastline, which is in the north-east of Scotland, and this song is about connecting to that landscape.‘
“All You’ve Ever Known of Love” is a gentle folk song about love, reconciliation and talking through our differences. It features some nice acoustic guitar with some emotion in those chords.
“The World As It Used to Be” was an uplifting track, and I imagine it would gain its own life when played live. I enjoyed the harmonica again, and the drum beat gets you moving. It’s a very likeable song with a solid chorus.
Jamie says of this one, “This song is worried about the state of the world and my kids growing up in it and wanting them to have that golden glow of childhood I am lucky enough to remember. It’s my favourite song on the album and a knowing tip of the hat to the old style Greenwich Village “topical” songwriters who I love, honky harmonica and all.‘
“We Will Rise” closes the album with a message of hope. It is a gentle, uplifting number, fusing folk with a touch of pop in the pot, in the sense that you sway to the rhythm.
In summary, this is an album by an established and successful Scottish musician who has made his name with Broken Records. This is a reflective album, often melancholic lyrically, but always uplifting musically. The layers of instruments allow the listener to enjoy the harmonica, guitars and range of sounds that add to a vibrant mixture. It is a mature and accomplished album for 2024, one to enjoy if you like modern folk with a twist of Americana.
Standout Tracks: “Like You Did Before,” “The World as It Used to Be,” and “Some Things Hurt a Little More.”
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You can stream the album and more music from Jamie Sutherland here.
By Stevie Ritson