Billy Lockett – Abington Grove Review

Music for the dark times, upsets and low range of emotions is as important as the meaning behind it. What comes of Billy Lockett is a ranged, impressive voice and a challenging, personal tackle of message. Abington Grove concerns itself with heartfelt and honest intentions. These are not love songs of the traditional standard. Abington Grove collects memory and meaning, the familial bond and the lessons learned from a powerful presence, and Lockett works that over with well-placed mixes that compliment his voice. A collaboration with GoldLink opens the personable pieces that fall into place, the steady flow. But its flow is a jagged one through its subject, and an unfortunate series of unexpected stutters mark Abington Grove as a staggering-yet-honest album. 

Opening duo Hard Act To Follow and Not Okay are serviceable singles that peg Lockett as a reliable artist that knows how and when to move his tone. His vocal range is impressive but his lyrical work, the self-love of being proud of what you love on Don’t Worry and the spoken-word interjection, distract from the attempted formidable structure on either side of it. What could have been the opening of some personal, deep and flowing ebb of emotional quality soon becomes littered with cigarettes and Jack Daniels, the product placement of booze on broken souls appears to be something Lockett is keen on exploring, but Abington Grove does not get to grips with its sincerity. That disconnect can only be hidden for so long, and eventually, it bobs up to the surface. 

Sharper, soulful pop beats are reserved for the singles and the latter half of the album. Miss Missing You is a delicate number and a nicely prescribed love track. Lockett throws his voice to introspective precision. He manages that better when moving into the personable abilities he presents. Abington Grove is solid in moments; it depends on which pieces the listener is drawn toward. Lockett has crafted an openness to his music that can be felt even on the most underwhelmed of tracks. Shift through the wobbly first couple of tracks and what comes through is a pop-ready spring in the step of deeper emotions. Sushi has a nice longing to it, a consistency throughout Lockett’s work is his placement of consistent genre stylings. It flows well, it cements him as a fresh face that can knock into personable moments when needed. Singles like Freaking Out have a heavy, steady thump to them that slots in well and the emotive Last Thing On Your Mind is primed and ready for the arena.  

More to come from Lockett is sure to give him some balance. Abington Grove has spots and moments of that fiery quality he is pursuing. Pursuit of that is half the battle. Last Night is a key example of what Lockett is keen to engage with, but also how he needs to take those next steps in going about it. Lyrical segments are the next important rise for the pop fellow, although there are moments, more than the lack of them. Lockett implements a broader personality on Abington Grove, his wish to document the last decade of his life is earnest and flows well, but may have been too broad a beginning. A bold debut, an imbalanced bit of work from Lockett that shines when it can.