Passenger – Whispers
Review by Jennifer Boylen
Passenger is almost the definition of mellow, in the best of ways. UK folk-rock singer, Mike Rosenberg, is notorious for his depressive, singer-songwriter style and he smashed the music charts last year with his hit “Let Her Go”. Although that single, slowly but surely, became painfully overplayed, I was itching for new music from Passenger. What may have started as a band in 2003, Rosenberg’s solo endeavor of the same name is thriving especially with the release of his fifth studio album, Whispers.
The record opens with acoustic guitar, raw percussion (bongo drums if I’m not mistaken), and Passengers trademark gravely, pure vocals. All of Whispers teeters between airy acoustics and strings (such as “Golden Leaves”) or upbeat guitars, horns, harmonicas, and percussion (like “27” or “Thunder”). The whole record is riddled with countless instruments and musical styles; there is even a saxophone thrown into “Rolling Stone”.
Through out the arch of this album, there are many sad and somber moments; but it is all appropriately broken up with more upbeat tracks. Though I’m partial to the lonely, picking guitar style, many of the other tracks have a vibe similar to Of Monsters and Men or Mumford & Sons. Similarly, after hearing the whole eleven tracks, I’m very surprised that “Heart’s on Fire” was the debut single. While it’s not a bad song in any way, compared to the others it just seems almost too mellow. It is not very representative of Whispers as a whole; which is what I would expect from a single. I also can’t see the song lending itself well to radio play.
The title track is definitely one of the more somber moments. It is a heart-wrenching, genuine song about feeling alone. It features full kit percussion, violin, and choir-style background vocals, but Rosenberg’s vocals steal the show from all of it on this one.
“Riding to New York” is definitely my favorite track on the record. The heartbeat-esque opening wrapped me up immediately. Then as the melody and vocals kicked in, I was hooked. There is something so very haunting about this song. The idea of an English man meeting people all over the states, talking about last chances, and traveling back to New York at all costs. It’s flawless.
The closing track “Scare Away The Dark” is definitely worth a listen. Although its lyrics are clever in a very cliché sort of way, I do enjoy his pop culture references and the idea of it is painfully accurate.
I was genuinely impressed by Whispers. Unexpectedly, Passenger featured a lot of variety through out the eleven songs on this record. Whether you’re in to the acoustic and horns style (which, I think there needs to be a name for that. We have Ska, don’t we?) or the lock yourself and in your room and cry type of acoustics; this record has it all. The lyrics are fresh, the musicianship is impeccable, and Rosenberg is a top-notch musical storyteller. Whispers is definitely not a record to skip.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: “Coins In A Fountain” “Whispers” and “Riding To New York”
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