think it’s pretty safe to say a lot of people at PT – both staff and readers – have had Sam Duckworth’s back for a long, long time. From putting him on at gigs to spreading the word, I think a lot of people have taken great pleasure in watching Get Cape rise and rise and rise – the Glastonbury performance must have been a real highlight for someone who I personally have a lot of respect for. For me, the respect has not only been earned (touring on the train anyone?) but fully deserved, with a sparkling EP and a fantastic debut album under his belt and a major label deal in the bag. Of course with such promise comes expectation and that’s where Sam’s now at – can he produce the goods for album number 2?
I’ve read two interviews with Sam since first hearing this record. One in the Daily Mirror, the other Rock Sound. Both have Sam quoted as saying he’s not bothered if he gets dropped. I found this strange -while I accept Sam is defiant and wouldn’t change his music for a guaranteed radio hit, the negativity, like he expects people to be turned off by this record or he’s already been told to expect the heave-ho, well, it just seemed odd. Is this album as good as the first? It’s difficult to say. ‘Searching for the Hows and Whys’ isn’t as immediate as it’s predcessor, that’s for sure. But it is a grower. Boy, after a few listens this really does sound good. But will it be a commercial success? probably not.
On first listen, I have to be honest, I didn’t like it. The socially-aware, semi-political lyrics didn’t quite sit with me and despite the more rounded approach to songwriting and the impressive production something wasn’t quite right. I have to admit though that the more I listened, the more I got out of it. ‘Window of Your Mind’ is a gorgeous pop song and the first immediate track to leap out, but the more you listen and the more you get out of it. ‘The Children are (The Consumers) of The Future’ is another belter as is the duet with Kate Nash. The songs are generally more compact than the older tracks and while the choruses may not leap out as they do on ‘I Spy’, for instance, they’re still there if you scratch the surface.
And while Sam’s lyrics and his message doesn’t always quite fit with the flow, this is still a decent record and one that should have some success. Will it match the first album, only time will tell. But whether it does or not, and whether we’ll ever see a Get Cape record on a major again, this is further proof that there is talent in the UK underground just bursting to be given the chance on a larger scale. If Get Cape achieve nothing more in the future than opening doors to other UK bands now given the chance to spread their wings then it’s surely job done.