There are plenty of stories swirling around the making of the third album by indie rock trio William The Conqueror. The inexplicable wonder of the creative process is part of it as singer / songwriter Ruarri Joseph describes the spontaneous nature of one track “The Bruises” as “It wasn’t, and all of the sudden, it was.” And there’s, of course, the pandemic that put the band on pause. Joseph watched his wife, a mental health worker, struggle as she helped folks through the early fraught period of the lockdowns. Joseph apparently was so inspired by her efforts that he became a care worker for a while. All of that clearly fed into this LP as it is blessedly free of the overly worked over, focus group-led sound of much of the indie world these days and glows with an empathic spirit even as Joseph, bassist Naomi Holmes and various guests sing of personal struggles and joys.
Their music has long filled a void in a British pop world that is too often taken over by legacy acts and snotty newcomers. They are seeding a rich ground that will hopefully sprout more thoughtful, tuneful acts of their ilk.
William The Conqueror’s fourth album finds the indie-rock trio firing on all cylinders as frontman Ruarri Joseph confronts the thin line between creativity and madness, inspired by compassion for the real life angels of the world. Produced by the band in a playground of vintage gear and mixed by Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender, Kasabian), the resulting album’s ten tracks marry earworm tunes with insistent, imperious, soaring rock shapes, punctuated by chorus hooks that are simultaneously nuanced and anthemic. Joseph’s compelling semi-spoken vocals and swamp-blues-Seattle-scuzz guitars are propelled by the rhythm section of Naomi Holmes (bass) and Harry Harding (drums) as “Excuse Me While I Vanish” delivers an effortlessly winning blend of melody and ensemble dynamics, the most accomplished and undeniable William The Conqueror album to date
From the album ‘Excuse Me While I Vanish’ out now
The Fat Angel Sings 