Album Review: Will Young - Echoes

Posted by Anthony - 20th September 2011

Who'd have thought that 10 years after unexpectedly winning the TV singing contest Pop Idol, Will Young would now be releasing his 5th studio album? Proof indeed that Will was a worthy winner and that talent will survive, a lesson to the many deluded hopefuls attempting to get on these programmes.

Winning a £1M recording contract was a considerable achievement and the resulting album, From Now On, was a No. 1 best seller. It was a typical Simon Cowell product, being a collection of mostly covers with a very so-so musical approach. Overall a bit disjointed and oddly old-fashioned and I doubt that Will had much input into it. Nevertheless the album contained the hugely popular tracks Evergreen and Anything Is Possible which together had formed a mega-selling single.

From this successful beginning Will blossomed into a confident recording artist who knew his mind and laid down tracks that he felt suited him. He co-wrote much of his work and the improvement in his second album, Friday's Child, was obvious. A newly independent recording star had arrived, Will having decided to follow his own recording career under the guidance of Simon Fuller.

We are now at album number 5 with Echoes. This has been trailed as a new direction for Will and features an electro-dance sound. I think a bit too much has been made of this. Sure, the Producer is the famed electro guru Richard X and he was assisted by Pete Hofmann. The dance bit is subtle and the main effect is a mid-tempo, chilled, synthy wash behind Will's often falsetto vocals. Overall an understated sound showcased by the first single Jealousy, an instant hit. Strangely, it often sounds like latter-day George Michael, which can't be a bad thing.

Will Young co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs in this collection. They explore personal matters such as love, loss, heartache and joy and I suspect that Will was largely responsible for the lyrics. The tempo does vary a bit but overall is more ballad than dance. Not every track is based around the synth. Outsider, for example, is a slow piano featured song and one of the album highlights. Most of the songs are strong and the album contains several potential singles such as Lie Next To Me and Hearts On Fire.

Will Young's singing is even throughout. He has a recognisable, controlled voice which blends well with the Richard X feel on Echoes. My only criticism is that it tends to sound all the same and the album could do with one or two wilder moments. I realise that Will is a polite young man, but just occasionally he needs to let go and give us a harder vocal to break things up a bit. There is a feeling that he is playing too safe and he doesn't need to do that. His reinterpretation of Light My Fire on Pop Idol was widely acclaimed so he has nothing to fear. By way of illustration, the upbeat and disco I Just Want A Lover would benefit from a more vigorous vocal.

However, this is a good album and is bound to please Will Young's many fans, and win him a few more I imagine.