Will Pope – Black Bird Fever (2024)
Take the enthralling swoop of Jeff Buckley, add a dab of The Tallest Man On Earth’s intricate guitarwork, then tinge with a smidgeon of Mogwai, and you might have an idea of Will Pope. Known for his eclectic, experimental and endearing music, UK-based Pope carves a niche in the modern-day folk scene bringing vintage and contemporary to life in a bold blast of “What the hell was that”. Pope began his musical journey when living and gigging in Beijing while studying and working in China; after returning from China in 2020, he started releasing original material quickly establishing himself as a rising star and trailblazer.
In 2021, Pope’s debut single ‘Stormy Seas’ received critical acclaim far beyond his UK borders featuring on notable international blogs, radio stations and Spotify editorial playlists. Skip ahead a few years and several well-received singles, Pope enters 2024 with his single ‘At Once’. Join us as we delve into the second track of this year, ‘Black Bird Fever’.
Shifting from the dreamy pop-tinged flood of sound in ‘At Once’, Pope adopts a vintage folk tone in ‘Black Bird Fever’. Alice walked into a chaotic world in Alice In Wonderland, but Will Pope’s Wonderland is calmer, soothing and soft with wistful clouds hanging in the air. Simplistic with an acoustic guitar and Pope’s bold vocals, minimalism is the name of the game; however, the cinematic starkness of ‘Black Bird Fever’ rushes with head-turning kaleidoscopic flair.
Inspired by Luke De-Sciscio and Kristian Mattson, Pope’s intricate guitar finger-picking adds complexity to the melody with a calming flow. While the guitar-driven melody is powerful, Pope’s bold vocals add raw infectiousness to the song. Sophisticated and confident but vulnerable and fragile, ‘Black Bird Fever’ has a profound interplay of contrasting (and sometimes colliding) sounds and themes.
Sincere and sentimental with honest tranquillity, ‘Black Bird Fever’ leaves you yearning for more hours in Pope’s Wonderland, while also content with the overall experience. Taken from his upcoming album True To Form, I cannot wait to spend more time in this Wonderland.
Find out more about Will Pope on his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more folk songs on The Other Side Reviews Folk playlist:
