Alienation and isolation are two powerful feelings at the best of times and, in many ways, these are not the best of times. Technology can be a great way to keep connected, with the likes of social media and WhatsApp groups connecting us with family and friends across the globe, wherever their lives have taken them.
But what happens when this technology turns on us, becomes something that isolates us further or becomes addictive. We have all seen examples of this. A while ago, I saw a family out for a meal, mum and dad trying to engage with their two kids who were too engrossed with their phones to even look up.
The mum asked her daughter a question only to be completely ignored. In desperation, the mum put her hand over her daughter’s screen, a move that drew an angry response. The daughter answered the question as quickly as she could before returning her attention to her phone.
A fairly common scenario played out by many families many times since I’m sure, but indicative of the perils of becoming technology obsessed and cutting off actual human conversation with members of our family. If we can define addiction of continuing a behaviour even when it is to the detriment of the person involved, this is undoubtedly addictive behaviour.
This is a theme that John Witherspoon looks at on his third album, One of Them, where he examines his own experience with phone addiction and its impact on his relationships. On One of Them, Witherspoon also turns the spotlight at himself and his life, looking at technology, media and relationship troubles. As he himself puts it, “Most of my writing is autobiographical, and I think One of Them offers a pretty even split of my light and dark sides, my positive and negative outlooks, my faith in humanity and my deeply cynical view of it.”
John WitherspoonWitherspoon’s style is that of a recognisably Liverpudlian indie folk troubadour and One of Them is lovingly crafted and open. Starting off with the tender True Love, an intimate look at domesticity amid a crumbling relationship.
The relationship runs its course as the song progresses, moving from the initial us-against-the-world feelings, singing, “And when a storm battered our house, how we held it down with true love” to rows with the line “slamming shut like you can’t come in here, cracking open, always with the tears.” The effect of this is like reading a page from someone else’s diary, you almost feel you shouldn’t be peering into the cracks in a relationship like this.
But at the end, Witherspoon still holds out for love as he sings, “As the darkness turns to dawn, I’ll still bet it all on true love.”
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You’re Alright is a jauntier affair, but with lyrics that bely its upbeat tone; “How many times must you learn it, you ain’t some disowned and disconnected hermit.” All My Venom is perhaps the album’s highlight, a song that again looks at both sides of a relationship. The line “I love you, but I could give you all my venom” will strike a chord with many people familiar with the push and pull nature of romantic liaisons when reality comes calling.
You’ll Do for Me is a Lennon-esque reflection on wanting to belong. Witherspoon’s voice is at its most effective when dealing in melancholy and You’ll Do for Me pulls at the heartstrings very well. Natural Light is a sparse piano led ballad that focuses on the effect the media can have on your life, with the line, “Click the news before you rise, ‘Seven ways that it’s all your fault this winter time’” expressing well the kind of bylines we have all seen and that all seep into our consciousness.
I can absolutely relate here, with click-bait headlines such as “why you’ve been eating avocados all wrong” sending me into paroxysms of mute fury several times a day. Again, the detaching effect of digital communication is comes into Witherspoon’s mind, “Connected and never more alone” as he puts it.
End of the Line Again is a gentle song that again has a melancholy as Witherspoon sings the title repeatedly for a chorus. Some tremolo guitar and harmonies lift the song nicely. Delaney in Her Prime is an understated epic that looks back at a brief fling and captures the nostalgic affection that such things can gain in our memories. This is perfectly summed up in the line “no matter what is up the road, it won’t outshine one kiss I got from Delaney in her prime.” It is a common sentiment beautifully expressed, a trick that Witherspoon is able to command in his lyrics.
Diallin’ In looks at the uniquity of smartphones and how they can command the attention and take the place of reality– “God help the kids, all of ‘em diallin’ in. It ain’t no must-see-show, none of ‘em bored, none of ‘em crack a grin before they learn how to pose.” You only have to go to a gig these days to see how many people are watching through their phone screen rather than jumping in and enjoying themselves.
Sebastian is an acoustic song whose beauty lies in its simplicity and its intertwining vocals. No studio trickery , just the joy of a good song well sung. Beautiful. Round At Yours celebrates the simple pleasures of friendship and how such a wonderful thing can deflect the rigors of life, if only for a short while. Witherspoon is someone who can find beauty in things that most of us may take for granted. As poets should.
One of Them finishes with My Baby, another song that looks into a failing relationship and gives us another glimpse at Witherspoon’s diary entries. The song, and the album, finish on a hope that, despite the feeling that the relationship is over, all will be well in the end. It hints at time has passed and both parts of the couple have moved on, but the faint trace of optimism lifts things up in the vial line – “Do you take sugar? You don’t call you don’t write, you know I had a bad dream we were falling out. But you’re my baby when it fades out.”
John Witherspoon has crafted a low key, intimate and elegiac record in One of Them. It gives us a glimpse into the artist’s life, thoughts, hopes and shattered dreams. Rarely is someone so willing to put their hopes and failings on such public display, and for that he deserves the fullest applause.
One of Them is a record that deserves your love.
DISCOVER JOHN WITHERSPOON