Genre: Pop Rock
Label: Interscope
Producer: Bramwell Bronte
Reviewed: March 18, 2024
Seventeen Going Under is the second studio album by English musician Sam Fender. The album was released on 8 October 2021 through Polydor Records. The album delves into Fender’s childhood and how it shaped his current persona. A total of three singles were released ahead of the album: “Get You Down,” “Spit of You” and the title track, “Seventeen Going Under”. His writing captures beauty and angst at the same time, keeping your interest throughout.
The album opens with the hit single “Seventeen Going Under”. It was released on 7 July 2021 as the lead single from his second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Fender and produced by Thom Lewis. It was originally a sleeper hit, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart but was named Hottest Record of the Year 2021 by BBC Radio 1 listeners, becoming Fender’s highest-charting single to date.
The song chronicles Fender’s life at 17 when his mother, Shirley, suffered from fibromyalgia and depression due to her inability to work after 40 years in the nursing field. She had become the owner of her apartment at 19 and had never missed a workday. Nevertheless, the Department for Work and Pensions began harassing her with letters and treating her unjustly. Fender tried to assist his mother financially, but because of his youth, he was unable to do so. Fender recalled: “That’s when my rose-tinted glasses fell off.” He told Rolling Stone that the song is a “letter to his 17-year-old self” which I believe is an accurate description of this song. The lyrics themselves, center more of the vocalist being involved in a violent, perhaps even gang-related youth lifestyle. This is suggested in lyrics such as “I spent my teens enraged.../spiraling in silence.../drenched in cheap drink and snide fags”. Fender nails the unbalancing act of his teenage self’s lifestyle perfectly throughout the song. Fender returns to a pivotal memory- “The boy who kicked Tom’s head in/Still bugs me now”- and reflects on his own growth: “I was far too scared to hit him/But I would hit him in a heartbeat now". The song then features a strong bridge before ending. Here, Sam’s mam is depicted as being unemployed and completely overcome by debt. Sam moves away from his usual vocals and belts out the bridge in an aggressive manner. The angsty tone reflects the lyrics perfectly and I could not help but fall in love with the song.
Fender continues to delve deep into his familial relationships throughout the rest of the album. The single “Spit of You” is a perfect example of this, where he confronts his father.
Included in the song is dazzling interplay between guitars, saxophone, and mandolin. Fender wrote on Instagram: “It’s based around my own relationship with my old man, and how we both struggle as blokes to communicate the way we feel to each other without it becoming a stand-off.” Fender possesses an exceptional talent for revealing such sensitivity and intimately personal material while still managing to strike a chord with countless numbers of listeners.
In the first two verses, Fender embraces a new perspective on their strained relationship. Fender includes the lyrics “They say I’m the spit of you/ And they’re not wrong”. As he ages, he now begins to realises how much of himself he sees in his father which reminded of the poem “My father perceived as a Vision of St. Francis” by Paula Meehan which captures a moment where the author witnesses her dad aging, possibly for the first time.
The second half of the song delves into the death of Fender’s grandparent, his dad’s mother. Witnessing his father’s vulnerability, Fender can't help but feel sorry for his dad despite their rocky relationship. As he ages, he recognizes that his father is also a son and that he and his father have a lot in common, including their stubbornness.
Fender brought his album on tour, and I was lucky enough to attend his gig in Malahide, Dublin, last summer. When it was time for him to perform “Spit of You” he announced it was a love letter to his dad, Alan. Fender sang the song beautifully. Throughout the duration of the hit song, images of the pair were displayed in the background.
Fender’s song “Getting Started”, which is the second track on the album, would be another honorable mention. Not only is the song an upbeat “bop” it’s Fender at his best. He chants about his struggles in his younger days in lyrics such as “Eighteen, failed dream.../ Attracted to a bad scene”. Fender stays consistent with the theme of familial relationships when he mentions his mother’s situation again: “Cataclysmic age to be... / When you're out of luck and you’re mother’s in need”. Accompanying the dark lyrics is an upbeat rhythm. Despite their oppositeness, the two blend like a dream and you can’t help but dance to the song.
Overall, Fender’s second album, “Seventeen Going Under”, is an exceptionally well-produced blend of heartland rock with a Springsteen influence. The album features powerful songwriting from a personal and political standpoint, and I can’t help but listen to these over and over again. I really enjoyed listening to Fender’s transformation from boy to man and I would strongly advise everyone to check out this great album.