Like Wild Grey Ocean years ago, Talk to You is a song Sam Fender wishes had featured on his latest release. Wild Grey Ocean is an ode to North Shields, which did not make the cut for Seventeen Going Under, a series of songs which would have been overwrought with those slices of life and nostalgic reflections had it been included. A sensible omission which stands tall alone. Talk to You is nowhere close to the spirited style of Wild Grey Ocean, but it does have an Elton John feature. A seal of approval from the Grammy winner turned podcast host. He offered his help to everyone from Yard Act to Kneecap with the Rocket Hour interviews, and for John it seems to come from a genuine love of creating with new voices. That is what keeps him going now, and it’s not as though Fender needs the big names to propel himself further. That’s what Talk to You identifies, John playing the part of session musician as Fender seemingly gears up for another album cycle already.
Talk to You is a transitional track. Between not expecting the Mercury Prize win and having enough material to push on through with another album already, it feels like the right time to release as much People Watching work as possible. Talk to You has all the hallmarks of the heartland rock style Fender has become a veteran of in just three albums, but it features the inevitably softer touch of a session pianist with decades experience. Both know what makes a hit but beyond that, know how to pull at the heartstrings of a listener with genuinely affecting lyrics. Fender showcases that skill brilliantly here, a song which strips away the electric guitar inevitabilities and replaces it with some softer piano notes and backing vocal treats. It’s a heartbreaker in the making and, as Fender said himself, should have featured on People Watching.
But where does being hounded by “moths and dickheads” fit on an album appreciating the culture of a region whose time in the spotlight is only just starting? It’s a song which outshines much of People Watching yet doesn’t quite fit the narrative at play. Talk to You is a song of regrets and honest reflection. It cuts a little too close, that bit too deep, and the discomfort you may feel is only proof of the lived-in experience Fender has constantly offered. Hopefully he continues down this path. It’s a songwriting style which suits Fender but also, crucially, feeds into some new instrumental additions. His guitar rock flavour is solid but has run its course. You can hear the softer, songwriter-led flourishes built up well on Talk to You. John is a credit to the song not because he offers any vocal work or anything, but his piano playing is solid.
Why not have an all-time great play in the studio for you? John’s addition is a subtle one which brings him back to the roots of his session musician days, and it works a treat. It’s a service, a genuine want to improve the song with a few flourishes, which features here. Talk to You lives and breathes on that, but also on its sincerity. Crucial to all this is that Fender affects those not from the region. He walked a worrying line with the People Watching rollout but appears to have fixed it all with charming, well-written work on Talk to You. The want and loss featured throughout is staggering, a real high for the Mercury Prize winner. Could it be the sign of a new direction for Fender? Listeners should hope so.
