Westerman: Discovering London’s Best Kept Synthy Secret
By Treasa McDonald
When I first heard 'Harvard' earlier this summer, I genuinely thought I was listening to a track by a band member of a group like Dire Straits or the Bee Gees who launched a very quiet solo career somewhere. I soulfully admit that I had never heard of Will Westerman (who goes by Westerman) until June this year upon recommendation from a 'good music' friend - we all have one, don't we?
After listening to 'Harvard' I was eager to see what other types of clean, vintage nostalgia the Westerman could induce. Much to my delight, my second find was 'Blue Comanche'; a peaceful, delicate track that contains much of the similar vintage sounds found in 'Harvard', though with a slight touch of electronic synth. The more I became acquainted with the Westerman, the broader the range became. Not something I often stumble across in the quest for new music. I was hooked.
Hailing from West London, Will Westerman is a solo musician who's work straddles the indie/pop line, quite brilliantly. He had a prominent presence throughout the 2019 European & UK Music Festival scene, playing Visions (UK), Vida Festival (Spain) Metropolis (Netherlands), and had kicked off 2019 with a West Coast tour in the US. Your Hero is not Dead was released this summer amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and while a viral outbreak is not usually the sexiest environment for an album release, the timing doesn't quite feel wrong.
Despite being influenced at an early age by some of the biggest names in music (Neil Young, Nick Drake, Kings of Leon, and Tina Turner to name a few) Westerman's sound stems from a place of deep originality. In both style and range, Westerman's talents are like no other. Considering the sheer volume of content that is produced by independent artists across the internet and social media on a hourly (minutely??) basis, Westerman stands the f*!k out. In an interview with Pitchfork, Will comments on his articulate use of electronic melodies:
"You can really change the way that something feels with that stuff. When it's just your voice and a guitar, a sense of space is much more difficult to put across. When [working with software], it's almost more like a composition, where you think, maybe there doesn't need to be a lyric here, maybe it's a melody line. With music, there's different levels to how you're communicating. It's not just the words; I think that melody is the principal communicator. That's why you can be really affected by music where you don't understand what the person's saying.."
Upon listening to more of his music I noticed elements of religious melodies dotted throughout an assortment of tracks. This was most noticeable for me in 'Blue Comanche' & 'Confirmation', both from the album Your Hero is Not Dead. It's somewhat akin to how Irish Artist Hozier draws on religious elements in his some of music (think 'Take Me to Church' & 'Sedated'), though each track remains firmly agnostic in nature. On the other spectrum, 'The Line' is a warm, poppy track which showcases Westerman's lyrical talents. Despite the delicate subject of the track (navigating the awkward intricacies of relationships, old & new), it still delights & uplifts. I personally really enjoy Westerman's simple in-the-moment dialog ("My grades are fine, but they're not good. And everybody's coming back from Harvard") and the blunt, albeit thoughtful, observations that are commonplace throughout tracks such as 'Roads' ("You can blame the ruminations all you like. Just get me off this, conversation don't feel right). Intimacy is created when being invited into Westerman's present, thus giving each track on Your Hero is Not Dead a personal touch that listeners cannot entirely disengage from. The 70's & 80's-inspired riffs compliment Will's delicate vocals, making the album an excellent choice for those seeking a steady stream of relaxed, uplifting, listening.
So, grab your headphones, put on your facemask, and take the dog for a walk.
I on the other hand, owe my good music friend a drink.
Listen to Westerman on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/09s6bLEw45wioK9ytf3nsA
You can also keep up to date with Westerman via his Instagram @westermanmusic, or check out his website https://www.westerman.world/