Review: 40 Watt Sun ‘Little Weight’
It is sometimes hard to marry the idea that Patrick Walker, singer, guitarist, songwriter and now singular creative mind behind poetic dirge rock outfit 40 Watt Sun, was the founding member of bleak British doom legends Warning. The highly influential band gained cult status even before they released one of the genre’s most acclaimed albums in 2006’s Watching From A Distance.
Following the band’s dissolution in 2009, Walker stated that he had different musical objectives and ideals that had led him to pursue music that was inspired by different influences and inspirations requiring him to move on and make himself whole. This path led to 40 Watt Sun, initially formed as a three-piece with drummer Christian Lewitch and bassist/producer William Spong, while their third album, 2022’s A Perfect Light, saw Walker assume the mantle of sole member directing his musical vision utilising a wide cast of musicians over a period of time to produce an album of sparse beauty.
As far as 40 Watt Sun has carried Walker in terms of artistic growth, there are still parallels found in the downbeat melancholia and slow unfolding path that both phases of his musical exploration have taken.
Following the protracted genesis of the previous album, Walker was determined to revive some of the raw spontaneity of the band’s earlier recordings and retreated to the isolation of a remote cottage in Cornwall. In the focus of a three-week window, intensive writing sessions were bookended by coastal walks and fireside musings in the local pub to form the skeleton of what would become the fourth album Little Weight.
With the foundations mapped out, Walker joined drummer and longtime collaborator Andrew Prestidge to flesh out the arrangements before bassist Roland Scriver joined them in the Peak District to rehearse and fine-tune the songs. The three then entered Holy Mountain Studios in London, and the whole process allowed the creative freedom to truly tap into the emotional subject matter and not lose the passion and nuance of the inspiration behind it.
The album begins with the lush striking chords of Pour Your Love, the ringing guitar almost pausing as the drums strike with a delicate pace that lets each moment breathe before Walker’s rich voice pleads with his recognisable baritone. Gentle and crystal clear, there is an innate certainty and tenderness that flows from the music as he builds to the chorus. As with A Perfect Light, the power lies with what happens in the spaces between the notes with the patterns rising and falling as naturally as breath. When Walker shifts the pitch and extends the enunciation of the words, you can feel the tug of feelings deep inside.
This continues on Half A World Away with the light strumming and rimshot rhythm a stark backing to the vulnerable, yearning lyrics. Fuller and more layered in texture, the second track dials up the passion and urgency of the delivery with the painful admission of ‘There’s not enough’. In the context of the album, this is one of the heavier pieces, both sonically and lyrically recorded by 40 Watt Sun, yet still manages to be uplifting in its sadness.
the quiet, almost choked, intonations, set up the soaring highs that come when Walker lets go of the control and the raw heart of 40 Watt Sun truly shines…
Astoria drips with the same gorgeous style of languid dirge that opened the album with the soulful resonance comforting and embracing the sadness. Whilst remaining as tight-lipped as ever on the specifics of the subject matter, the passion that reverberates in the quiet, almost choked, intonations, set up the soaring highs that come when Walker lets go of the control and the raw heart of 40 Watt Sun truly shines.
Featuring Chris Redman on Fender Rhodes piano, Feathers has certainty and steadfastness that translates into a bright indie-like tune that is a hopeful celebration. The intricate interplay between the guitar, bass and drums, including an elegant and wistful solo, manages to be a reaffirmation of positivity and a genuinely transfixing audio moment with touches of folk and airy existentialism as Walker speculates on life.
The crisp cadence of Closer To Life returns to the introspective questioning but with a firmer sense of strength that reflects in the positive dramatics of the fuller instrumentalisation. The plodding bassline and stronger delivery of the vocals are poised with the confidence of the guitar sweeps. The melodies weave around the highs and lows of the percussion, resulting in a chorus that approaches catchy and once again conjures belief, finding something in the darkness that makes the penultimate track reaffirming.
The stirring tones of The Undivided Truth signal the home straight of a ten-minute epic that draws the veil over Little Weight with a slow-burning composition that reaches out into the void with a heartfelt sense of peace and resignation. As ‘pieces and pieces slip by’, Walker ponders the path he has travelled in search of his truth. Growing in strength and power, the inner turmoil that has gone before seems to be banished in the light of a new dawn.
Even the sombre atmosphere of the second half, which still feels like the revelations of this new mindset have been wrought from intense sorrow, is balanced with warmth and triumph hard-won, making the stabbing flourish of the drums to finish an exclamation point on this special album.
As with A Perfect Light, the latest album from 40 Watt Sun works because of the deft use of space and quiet. There is so much that is conveyed in the relative stillness of the songwriting that allows the thoughts to sink in, the music’s lack of hurry to force a conclusion encapsulates each moment in all its haunting glory.
Released on Walker’s own label, Fisher’s Folly, there can be little doubt of his prowess and ability to craft an achingly beautiful experience.
Label: Fisher’s Folly
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
