Charity Stow has been busy - as always - since the release of her sublimely engaging 'Perfect Thought' EP on 24th September last year (one of my top choices of 2021, and one I described as "an inspiring and peaceable listen").
Her continued hard work has led to her becoming the very deserving recipient of a Youth Music NextGen grant, which she has used to great effect to help her produce 'What The World Wants'. It came out on 29th July.
This is an upbeat record with a gorgeous Americana tint, perhaps more so than Charity's most recent slightly folkier releases. It's a style which seems to suit her honest delivery and the appealing mineral timbre that's always present in her voice. The genre and pace of the song also allows Charity space and opportunity to explore some bolder avenues.
The song opens gently with tentative keyboard and guitar sounds whispering subtly from the slightly soft mix. With a drum fill, everything then kicks into gear, the song quickly settling into a comfortable and pacey tempo. This tempo is maintained right through to the end - it's not a building song in the typical way, but rather one which seems to present its message confidently early on and then explore subtle variations for the rest of its time with the listener.
There's also a great sense of freedom, not in an over-stated or obvious way, but rather as a general feeling. You sense this through the melody and the supporting structure, as well the lyrics and that vocal delivery. Charity sounds completely at ease and released, right from the start when she sings the opening lines "Isn't it funny how people change? I miss the waiting to see your face". Her voice arrives with a lovely conversational tone and stays true to that sense throughout (this is something I've always appreciated about her delivery).
That feeling of openness reaches a peak towards the end of the track, in an extended chorus section where Charity launches into an incredible, liberated (and liberating) falsetto. I've never heard her sounding this free and in charge, and it's a great thing to witness.
'What The World Wants' seems to be a record about discovery, acceptance and exploration and the way Charity and her accompanists have orchestrated and arranged the music to tell that story is masterful. It's a great track and a very exciting indication of the direction in which Charity is developing.
Listen below and be sure to check out Charity's Bandcamp, too, where she's currently selling a marvellous CD featuring all of her releases to date - for only £5.
Credits for What The World Wants
Charity Stow: vocals
Jay Naylor: guitar
Jack Stow: keyboards
Jamie Masters: guitar, bass
Mikey Ciancio: drums
Produced by Jamie Masters & Charity Stow
Engineered and mixed by Jamie Masters
Recorded and mixed at Echo Studios, Buckingham, England
Mastered by Jon Astley at Close To The Edge, Twickenham, England