A Will Away - Stew (2022) Hi-Res

It comes across as something of a surprise when the twang of A Will Away frontman Matthew Carlson’s American accent cuts through the layers of guitars on his band’s second album. It almost doesn’t sound like the work of an American band – there’s something about its earnestness and the full-bodied texture to its alt.rock template that gives it a very British feel. It makes for an interesting twist on a sound that’s been done to death, and the buckets of charm this record is only another positive.

Theirs is not a sound that’s particularly new, but it lends the likes of the breezy stomp of Karma and the syrupy sweep of Spittin’ Chiclets a cosy sense of familiarity without coming across as derivative. The chilled patter of Re-Up, meanwhile, has the same refreshing hit as iced water on a baking-hot day with its laidback feel, while I’ve Got A Five takes a meditative turn with light-footed riffs and flashes of big-heartedness epic-ness which certainly don’t feel unwelcome.

Stew does suffer from a slightly muddy middle, however – the minimalistic Parachute doesn’t feel quite eventful enough and lacks the same sticking power of some of the other tracks. Hereditary, which follows, initially appears to follow the same path, but pulls itself together by slowly building into something that sounds bigger and more beautiful. It’s in moments like these, where the record spreads its wings most valiantly, that it reaches its full potential.

More than anything, Stew feels like a comfort record. There’s a warmth in the strums of its guitar that easily lodges itself into the heart and refuses to budge. And at its core, it's incredibly lovely.