Music > Album Reviews

Gary Stewart - Oh My Weary World

01/11/18

Leeds based, Scottish singer / song writer Gary Stewart is back with this his third solo album Oh My Weary World, the follow up to the excellent Year And A Day e.p that was released back in 2012.

The album is embedded with some strong key influences of Stewart’s own personal record collection, from Fleetwood Mac to Paul Simon’s eponymous album (The Paul Simon Song Book).

An acoustic folk rock sound, accompanied by some very beautiful vocals that are both fragile and delicate. It’s achingly gorgeous, tearing away at your heart strings as it progresses to its end. Stewart played almost every instrument himself on the album and it was recorded on a portable digital Roland VS desk using just one microphone for most of the recording process with the exception of the three that were used on the drums and this really does help to create the warmth and intimacy that you feel from these recordings as the listener.

Cushion is a sumptuous song that embodies the spirit of Oh My Weary World and Stewart’s amazing talent shines bright like a star in the autumn skies, there is a nod to Damien Rice’s 0. It’s a semi-autobiographical song about growing up and accepting domesticity while at the same time acknowledging that this in itself can become a constant strain on your life. It's a musician's song written for every musician out there that struggles to find the balance of being not only a performer but also a family man all at the same time. Shane Durant’s piano playing duplicates that same richness.

Old Friends, is about not being afraid to start again. It’s the dawning of a realisation that you can make a real mess of things in life through making bad decisions, but as long as you have old friends and lovers, you will always be okay.

Earth Wind and Fire, is a song about a relationship breakdown, where you hope that you've done the best thing by calling it a day, but really that decision gives the other person the strength and freedom to thrive while they set off in another direction.

The title track Oh My Weary World, is about the imminent state of our planet. The fact that the human race is abusing it so much, that there is a danger that it could combust or be washed away. That notion is embraced by the narrator in the choruses as they surrender themselves to the fact that the world is a pretty shit place right now, so you may as well just put your hands up and admit to your own contribution in its sad demise. 

Times Like These, is essentially about putting on a very public face to hide what's laying underneath in your inner thoughts. It deals with relationship values, the political landscape and at the same time the state of the media.

There are so many musical intricacies on one of 2018’s masterpieces, Oh My Weary World is pure bloody gorgeousness during its most brilliantly beautiful moments.

Oh My Weary World was released on the 22nd of October. With an album launch event taking place at The Crescent, Blossom Street, York on the 17th of November.