Frontman of the ever-rising band Wunderhorse, Jacob Slater, has gone solo on an album filled with pure emotion. Wunderhorse’s growth has been something special to witness — supporting Sam Fender, Pixies and Fontaines D.C. has helped grabbed the attention of listeners and not let go ever since. As well as this, their debut album Cub is one of the best to be released in years and has helped prove Slater to be an extremely talented songwriter.
However, the announcement of his new solo album seemed to be delivered in a whisper, almost deliberately wanting to go under the radar. The only problem with that is it deserves all the attention in the world. Slater’s solo effort is stripped back and bleeding with themes of love and worthiness that grow in depth with each new listen. The final result is one that you can only hope was relieving for the songwriter.
Fans of Wunderhorse will already be familiar with opener ‘One For The Pigeons’, originally a B-side on an earlier released single. Its finger-picking playing is crisp and crackly alongside Slater who vocally sounds like a perfect mixture of Sufjan Stevens and Elliot Smith. Followup ‘I Do’ picks up right where the opener left off, possessing a warming chord progression that invites the listener into a scene of intimacy and fragility. “Do you ever get that awful feeling? Like there’s nothing left or meaning in this life,” sings Slater who’s performance is moving and poignant.
Lead single ‘Kissin’ Booth’ can only be described as a heartbreaking exploration of betrayal. Slater’s lyrics don’t shy away from detail either, “Well I hope you had a good time/ I was crying in the hotel room”, sings Slater, painting a picture of disloyalty that borders on intensity despite the song being so calm in nature.
For most musicians, being on such an empty canvas of just vocals and guitar would leave the space feeling empty. Slater’s case is the opposite, however, as he manages to cover such a grand scope with just his performance alone. Take ‘Untitled’ for example, possessing the most animated vocal performance as Slater’s voice masterfully builds to a climax of sheer emotion. It’s arguably the best cut off the album — extremely powerful and affecting in its vulnerability.
‘Red Balloon’ only proves that Slater should experiment more with an acoustic guitar in hand, as the work produced is purely enchanting. The acoustic present hums in its own isolation, accompanied only by small soundbites of birds and hushed vocals that all combine to create an ethereal sound. “What d’you think happens when we all die? Where do we go? / I don’t know, I don’t care”, sings Slater at the end of the song, closing it out with harmonics that linger alongside the questions he asks. The final song off the album is a cover of ‘Moon River’, a song that has been done to death yet despite this Slater manages to add new life into it. Short and sweet, the minimalistic production helps give an intimate atmosphere that feels as though you’ve been personally invited to be present in.
‘Pinky, I Love You’ is an album that only grows in strength with each listen. Despite it being stripped-back, it leaves small details in each song that helps give the LP its own personality and backbone. An extremely impressive solo effort, and hopefully not the last one we’ll see.
Written by Niall McGreevy