Scott Apple returns to our pages with his poetic debut album, Darling Citizen.

By Graeme Smith

An American singer songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee, Scott’s music previously featured on our blog in May this year when Jane ran the rule over his track Misfit. Now he’s back with his debut album, Darling Citizen, a coming of age story blending the personal with the philosophical.

The album opens with its title track. A haunting, finger-picked intro sets the scene before Scott’s soulful vocals come in. They deliver poetic lyrics that are obtuse but unmistakably emotional. As the track progresses, we get traces of organ that give things an Americana edge. It’s a strong start.

Lemonade Daydream mixes things up with a funky groove and lyrics that speak of an unapologetically obsessive kind of love. A dreamy, singalong chorus proves to be an early highlight. On Your Side is gentle and image-laden before the aforementioned Misfit rounds of the album’s early listening with a vibrant, pacy and bass-y moment that bristles with defiance in its lyrics.

Everything strips everything back, giving plenty of space to Scott’s vocals and their raw, heart-wrenching lyrics. Bloom is an intimate piano interlude that bleeds into the boundary-pushing and philosophical Posy. So It Goes provides a delicate acoustic number that builds to a cathartic climax before Evergreen closes the album in wistful, whistling style.

Scott Apple is an example of that rarest thing in modern music, a songwriter who seeks new territory with their lyrics. The poetry on display across Darling Citizen’s ten tracks is sometimes breath-taking and always emotional. If you’re a music lover who wants to be told a story then it’s the album for you.

Darling Citizen is out 1 August 2024 and you can pre-save it here.