William the Conqueror – Maverick Thinker 
(Chrysalis Records)
Release Date: Out Now
It’s always a fine moment when
Cornwall based trio William the Conqueror pop up with new music so a whole new album
is really spoiling us – more than an improbably structured pyramid of Ferrero
Rocher. ‘Maverick Thinker’ is the album of which I speak and it is, reliably, a
wonderful collection of story telling set to blues, folk and a little bit of
rock’n’roll. The album opens with ‘Move On’, a rainy day kind of song that slowly
chugs in to life before Ruari Joseph’s trademark mid-Atlantic drawl comes in,
all dark glasses and shaggy hair – the Dude by any other name. ‘The Deep End’
follows up next with a little more swagger and sway but still that 12-bar blues
structure and a fuzzy organ in the chorus that compliments the pulsing bass
line perfectly.
The blues guitar playing on ‘Alive
at Last’ is sublime as the lead notes soar above the gentle rhythm section
before ‘Jesus Died a Young Man’ takes us on a road trip across the USA with
lines like “tortured incarnation of a genius, he stood for mercy but the songs of
praise were tedious”. Recent single ‘Quiet Life’ is one of those life affirming
tunes that helps you breath a little easier and relax the muscles in your back
which is just another fine example of why William the Conqueror are good for
your health. Similarly, the jaunty guitars and punchy beat of ‘Wake Up’ will
have you dancing around whatever your lock-down situation is as though you were
down the front at a sun-drenched festival.
‘Fiction’ is the kind of tune
that will get you up off your seat as persistent beat and slinky bass create a
noir-esque atmosphere before a searing guitar riff punctures the night air with
a sense of directness and urgency. Conversely, ‘Suddenly Scared (24 Storeys High)’
is a supremely laid-back blues jam which feels like the kind of song that came
out of a whole lot of solitude and introspection. They cowbell introduced ‘Reasons’
is a shuffling and skittish tune, but that Joseph vocal could sew together the
most jagged of material to create a technicolour dream coat of a song.
Unusually, the title track is saved
for last as ‘Maverick Thinker’ opens with the line “Call my mother tell her I
love her, she says I don’t sing like I used to do” above a lazy and regretful acoustic
strum which is blended with drums, bass and some sprinkled, tinkled ivories for
maximum effect. It almost feels too easy for these three but sometimes you need
to stand back and admire natural beauty to really feel the positive energy the
world has for you.