fbpx

SINGLE REVIEW: WILLIAM DOYLE – AND EVERYTHING CHANGED (BUT I FEEL ALRIGHT)

Photo Credit: Ryan MacPhail

Following the residentially written and critically acclaimed ‘Your Wilderness Revisited’, there is a high level of expectation to be found in Doyle’s latest work. And if that isn’t in a critical sense (after all Brian Eno is a fan), then it definitely is on a personal one, given that Doyle had an unexpected hard drive crash nearing completion of his new record. In result of this, he has had to use solely his back up recordings, all diverted from cassette tape. With all further editing impossible, this can only seem devastating. But this is William Doyle. He doesn’t crack. Instead he continues to surpass himself despite his obstacles.

‘And Everything Changed’ proves this entirely. Don’t let the above fool you into thinking Doyle’s new project will sound unfinished or raw. Doyle’s formulae of inventive lush instrumentation that radiated through his last album remains here. In fact it is taken to new heights. Yes, the track is still washed over with misty synths, strings and boyish harmonies that are highly evocative. But this time, a hulking and slightly reversing acoustic guitar dominates the mix daringly, bringing darker shades to contrast the lighter moments. The electric guitar work in the second half is straight up ear candy. Its metallic tones rip through it’s listener like electric currents. So much that I had to reverse it again. Alike to Fripp’s work with Eno and Bowie, it’s an impeccable moment of sonic production, surpassing the instrumental heights of Doyle’s work as East India Youth. The effort put into this can really be heard.

Lyrically it’s a new direction too. This time more rooted in the loss of self after a relationship. A departure from the ‘Proustian madeleines’ of youth. Instead favouring a desperate search for meaning. Doyle uses nature as his opiate, similar to the buddhists and likely something a lot of us are attempting right now.

Doyle’s new record, ‘Great Spans Of Muddy Time’ will be released on March 21st 2021. Hear the new single below: