This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
People Watching is the third studio album by English musician Sam Fender, released on 21 February 2025 on Polydor Records. The album was co-produced by Adam Granduciel, Markus Dravs, and Fender himself, with additional production from his bandmates, Dean Thompson and Joe Atkinson. According to Fender, the album explores "colourful stories and observations of everyday characters living their everyday, but often extraordinary, lives." The album's lead single, "People Watching", was released on 15 November 2024. Upon its release, People Watching received widespread acclaim from critics. On review aggregator Metacritic, the album holds a score of 84 out of 100 based on seventeen critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". In a five-star review in The Observer, Lisa Wright praised the album's honesty; calling it "a lonely document of fame, and of a man clinging on to the community his talents have propelled him away from. And where his previous album revealed Fender to be a songwriter of depth, People Watching explores life’s ugliness and finds excellence."
An entertaining album of Sam Fender. His most recent at the moment. I don't really understand this selection as his previous two albums are much better (and not on the 1001 or user list). It's a pleasant listen, but it won't blow your head off as it's never daring or getting wild.
A lot of this reminded me of 80's rock by the likes of Don Henley. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 3 stars.
This is a great site because a user thought this album was incredible enough to suggest it should be listened to before death And Apple Music can suggest this artist is entering their ‘Imperial phase’ on this album And then I can listen to it and go “it was okay”
Really enjoyed the opening song People Watching. Real Killers vibe! The rest of the album was very good with his Brandon Flowersy voice!
Rating: 10/10
Something decent from the modem era at last
Quite the recent choice for an all time best album but maybe someone just really loves this album. This felt like a folky Killers album. Fender has that similar sound but lyrically is a bit more relaxed and more Americana with it. Felt like this toed the line between pop and folky but not being enough indie. Overall it was a good listen but falls short in my ability to like it a ton. Maybe a revisit. Maybe not. 6.3/10
Shades of yacht rock, Springsteen (or modern day followers like The Hold Steady), and late era singer-songwriter bros like John Mayer and Dave Matthews. A few standout songs in this though on the whole I thought it was a little too soft and clean. It needed some more edge in the vocals, and something to dirty up the music, at least time to time.
How 80s is this album? Not that I'm complaining. At last some of those saxophone soloists have employment again.
Sam Fender is a really talenten artist. I likes this album a lot
Good stuff
Overly semantic
This was pleasant to listen too, didn't hate it. Fave Songs: Nostalgia's Lie, Arm's Length, People Watching, Chin Up
Heartland rock, pop rock, post-Britpop. Ni fu ni fa.
People Watching sounds like a British, softer Bruce. The sax also adds to the comparison
Introspective Sad Boy Rock
Fender really leans into the Springsteen influence on this one. The title track (probably the standout on the album) is pure 70s Springsteen extravagance, and Crumbling Empire is that more laid back Dancing in the Dark-style 80s Springsteen through and through. It’s a pretty good record on the whole, even if it has a bit less personality and excitement than his previous two, and is all pretty safe and as expected - other than the moody and mysterious shuffle of TV Dinner which was my favourite track bar that banger of an opener. Still some huge singalong choruses and good guitar jams from front to back - one more of these and he’s got to be one of the newer generation of Glastonbury headliners, right?
I dig it.
July 24, 2025 HL: "Crumbling Empire", "TV Dinner", "Remember My Name" What if: the War on Drugs, but Geordie 3.5
From this year? Personally, there’s a lot of releases I would’ve picked instead. Different strokes :)
You must have the memory span of a goldfish if an album that dropped 5 months ago is the best you've ever heard in your life. The product itself is alright, but definitely leans heavy on Springsteen nostalgia and gets a bit bland after a while with no real dynamic contrast and a pretty narrow BPM range. Just a silly pick, so many good albums from the early aughts and teens left off the list and you pick an album that will barely make 2025 best-of lists if that.
lol this came out 4 months ago. Are you fucking kidding me? It's July 1. We've just - JUST - ticked over 50% of the year. You people just waste your fucking votes hey. Aaaaaaanf it's this kind of modern rock, sorta like a Gen Z Springsteen impression. This stuff bores me. So squeaky clean, unoriginal, etc etc. 2/5.
Yeah it's fine, it's the complete opposite of something you "have" to listen to though 2.4
This will truly go down in history as an album released in 2025.