As September edges closer, students across the country are filled with trepidation and exhilaration at the prospect of moving away from home. From new friends, new experiences to well-earned freedom, there are endless things to look forward to with the new academic year. Whether it’s your first foray away from home or you’re a seasoned veteran chomping at the bit to escape the confines of living with parents, Brighton indie quartet FUR’s latest offering, ‘When You Walk Away, Pt. I’ is the perfect soundtrack for those long journeys ahead to campuses across the nation.
A song which would settle nicely into a coming-of-age movie, ‘When You Walk Away, Pt. I’ opens with an elongated intro, steadily building buzzy feelings of excitement with an infectious melody played out on roaring electric guitars. Throughout ‘When You Walk Away P1’ FUR try to make sense of their world, the song acting like a portal back into adolescent feelings of uncertainty underpinned by fizzing excitement. The intro gradually reaches a euphoric cacophony before lead singer Will Murray’s signature warbling vocals begin, detailing feelings of anxiety and precariousness, buoyed by an energetic drum beat and strumming guitars.
Amongst the ruminations and worries, the unrelenting melody bubbles away, fortifying the song with a sparkling energy and tightly knitting the track together. Nerves turn to affirmation as Murray brightly sings “when you walk away / don’t turn back”, the age-old adage providing comfort with its familiarity but also when combined with the sunny instrumentation it’s impossible not to be left filled with a feeling of light hopefulness. FUR sprinkle life lessons throughout ‘When You Walk Away, Pt. I’, commenting on the track Murray said: “post-coming of age is a dizzying period of intense change and movement, both internal and external, in which you try to find your place in the world whilst finding yourself within. You may have to walk away from home, familiarity, innocence as well as jobs, relationships and situations that are no good for you while in turn friends and lovers may walk away from you. As someone with a penchant for standing outside of time and dwelling on the past, the songs act as a reminder to be more present and spend less time looking over my shoulder.”
Soaked in nostalgia, the song shimmers with a retro quality without falling into the trope of merely imitating something we’ve all heard before. FUR expertly meld their rock and roll influences with their own creativity and innovation, contemporary, timeless indie pop. It’s good timing then that the band has also announced their debut album, When You Walk Away, due for release this November, as well as a full UK tour including the support slot for indie pop titan Boy Pablo. So, whatever your next chapter may be, or even if you’re staying put on the same page as before, take a leaf out of FUR’s book and stay future-facing.
Words by Ella McLaren
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