William Doyle – ‘Springs Eternal’ album review: eclectic meditations of the constipated psyche
THE SKINNY: Gently lifting the chin as we approach springtime, Bournemouth’s William Doyle times his latest solo endeavour, Springs Eternal, to perfection. The consummate producer set out under the East India Youth alias a decade ago in the footsteps of his esteemed luminary Brian Eno, with whom he can now boast of collaborating. Of course, Doyle would never dream of such conceit; this beautiful new offering betrays a humble and introspective yet bold and curious personality.
Like Eno, Doyle is wantonly receptive to global issues. In Springs Eternal, he brings unremitting beauty and colour to a range of themes, some of which are bleak and despairing. Namely, existential dread surrounding pertinent themes of climate change and the insidious technological vanguard are posited with allaying irony and abstract allegory.
Instrumentally, the Springs Eternal keeps the listener on their feet with charming melodies and dynamic beats liable to dramatic shifts and flourishes. Eclecticism is Doyles’ middle name, and he certainly didn’t hold back this time around; from the dewy pastures of ‘Garden of the Morning’ to the jagged and propulsive ‘Relentless Melt’, Doyle exercises the full breadth of his skillset.
It is widely believed that each of us is predisposed to at least one profitable talent. Sadly, many of us never manage to find it, but Doyle can rest assured that his multiple facets all seem to reside in the musical medium. Personages of such vocal, lyrical, instrumental and productional merit are exceedingly scarce and must be celebrated. So, without further ado, let’s dive into Springs Eternal.
For Fans Of: Wild camping, stargazing and Alan Titchmarsh.
A concluding comment “As warming and somehow informative as one might expect a hug from Monty Don to feel. Pure chamomile music.”
Springs Eternal track by track:
Release Date: February 16th | Producer: William Doyle and Mike Lindsay | Label: Tough Love
‘Garden of the Morning’: Doyle dips a preemptive toe into Springs Eternal with a passage of birdsong that gives way to some delicate vocals. As the song evolves, orchestral synth textures build in stature as Doyle spins a yarn of love and pain in an otherwise beautiful, unassuming garden. [4/5]
‘Now In Motion’: Even those who master the art of ambient production can remember how to rock out; ‘Now In Motion’ is solid proof. Disjointed electric guitar work adorns a vibrant beat of calamitous harmony. “Now the heart can be heard from the floorboards / And the bliss has been drained from the ignorant / ‘Cause it’s hell in motion,” the lyrics read. [4/5]
‘Relentless Melt’: The title could read as a rather cutting insult, but it appears to be a more abstract expression. With flecks of psychedelia, this upbeat track is elusive but responds to an overwhelming sensation and appears to address a lover. “A quickening of the heart / Then it grinds to a halt / Whenever we are apart / I feel it dragging on,” Doyle sings at the outset. [3/5]
‘Soft to the Touch’: As the name suggests, this track reins in the intensity for an introspective ballad that twists and warps with innovative climaxes and treatments. Doyle meditates on his own weakness in the face of adversity, the causes of which are left to abstract imagery and interpretation. [3.5/5]
‘Eternal Spring’: Half a century on from Pink Floyd’s gloomily existential study of ‘Time’, Doyle exhumes the topic under the light of a breezy electro beat with danceable tempo. “The laws of physics will suspend / What I had thought would never end / And what appeared perpetual / I eat the pendulum that I keep clinging to,” he sings. [3.5/5]
‘Cannot Unsee’: This curious little number bounces along with optimistic air that’s slashed to the floor by the return of lyrical anxiety. Once again studying the irreversible nature of time, Doyle discusses the “morning news,” suggesting scenes that one might rather never have seen. Though, at the close, he asks, “Isn’t it empowering to see what can’t be unseen.” [3.5/5]
‘Castawayed’: Dynamic, this song shifts through waves of intensity accentuated by naked chapters of acoustic guitar and climaxes of synthesised beats. The title and the acoustic guitar’s lonely presence of give the impression of a desert island. In the lyrics, Doyle sings of the approaching sea, strengthening this imagery. [4/5]
‘Surrender Yourself’: Surrender yourself to the wonderful sound of a delay-treated guitar. This track hears Doyle tinkering with his guitar pedals in a more than welcome reminder of The Durutti Column’s associative sound. He creates a choppy sound that submits to a shoegaze fuzz in the chorus. With the mention of infinite wisdom, the song appears to discuss surrendering to the power of the omniscient force of the internet and its younger brother, AI. [4.5/5]
‘A Short Illness’: Characteristically introspective and fraught with existential anxiety, this song about “a short illness” conjures, for me, Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea. As the instrumentals gradually gain volume, Doyle questions the existence of God before dismissing the train of thought due to his limited time left in this mortal coil. [3.5/5]
‘A Long Life’: This bubbly space-age instrumental track is a real treat for sore ears. Doyle brings energetic yet placating sounds into a discerning mesh of sound. A driving beat propels the song while oscillating, orbiting melodies broaden the palette. With muffled woodwind intrusions and distant melodies, ‘A Long Life’ is experimental but accessible to all. [5/5]
‘Because of a Dream’: Doyle concludes his impressive new record with a minimalist acoustic composition. Through light, breezy strums, he sings, “Because of a dream / I couldn’t be there / In blood or in flesh / To tell you the truth / So in summation, nothing is sacred / It’s all an illusion and there is no proof.” [4/5]
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