Newton Faulkner - Write It On Your Skin Album Review

Released back on July 9, this is the third album from the man whose full moniker is Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner, and his second to top the UK chart. He will follow his summer festival appearances with an extensive headline schedule in October, covering 17 dates throughout the month.

Sitting very firmly within the acoustic genre, Faulkner opens the record with hugely uplifting 'Pulling Teeth', which features a breezy and instant chorus. More follows in the shape of 'Soon', which encapsulates optimism, whilst 'Clouds' is a step toward an arena sound that forgoes none of the quality of the preceding numbers. Even the more melancholic sound of 'Pick Up Your Broken Heart' is pierced by hopefulness, and like a best mate putting their arm around your shoulder at the darkest of times, you get an undeniable lift. Not every track has such an instant appeal - 'Longshot' for example is a slow burner (but worth sticking with for a rousing finale) - but this really is a record that will brighten up your day. The 36 minute runtime passes by inconspicuously, testament to Faulkner producing one of the albums of the year so far.

Alex Lai