Live, Jeremy Warmsley is a marvel and I was anxious to hear if he could capture that magic. ‘How We Became’ which follows up to his 2006 debut ‘The Art of Fiction’ is a brilliant album and with the help of producer Markus Dravs (Bjork, Arcade Fire and Brian Eno) they’ve managed to seal his magic into a recording.
Opening track ‘Lose My Cool’ is a perfect example of his folk electronica style (now being dubbed folktronica!). It’s a love song with a touch of angst full of twisted and strained vocals he at times sounds angry though always resigned. More upbeat is ‘Dancing With the Enemy’, which is apparently about the British girls cavorting with the German soldiers during WWII. It instanly sounds quite childlike, simple, quaint but perfectly charming. It even comes complete with intermittent hand claps.
Every track on this album is very different from the one before. It’s full of emotional intelligence, it’s fully accomplished and adventurous in style and in sound. A perfect example of this is the prosaic ‘If He Breaks Your Heart’, a lyrical gem as he sings “if he takes the piss I will break his face”. His voice is innocent and sweet but full of intent, making him extremely endearing.
Closing the album is ‘Craneflies’ a piano-led ballad. Here Warmsley shows off his piano skills and sings with the self assured confidence that he seemed to lack on ‘The Art of Fiction’. It’s a gorgeous track that starts off very quietly and then grows and builds into a massive crescendo before finishing with a bang. Exactly how ‘How We Became’ should finish.