It’s clear William Phillips is a talented songwriter. He may not be the name remembered in association with the song, but his Song of the Year Grammy award for co-writing Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ will testify to that. Despite that, his work as Tourist has leaned more toward production and sound than the straight-up pop melodies that earned him such acclaim. With his second album Everyday – follow up to 2016’s U, both coming after his Grammy win – his desire to create his own identity away from that song is palpable. Sure, the melody remains, but this is proper electronic music; not quite EDM though it does contain the blood-rising beats and not quite ambient, though its reverb-laden synthesizers are capable of those gorgeous sonic backdrops. It straddles the need for sub-genre finickiness, in the vein of Jon Hopkins, Burial or Four Tet, seeking something emotive and intelligent in the sounds produced.
Phillips has said that he wants to draw emotion out of people through music, “to make people feel something, that’s special”, and while he doesn’t quite contain the chops of the aforementioned electronic giants he is more than capable of achieving what he sets out. Everyday beautifully melds its repeated warped electronic patterns with ambient soundscapes, live instrumentation and flourishes of genuine melodies that weave in and out of his creations. He knows his best songs and they come early. Opener ‘Awake’ is a lovely and tranquil flight of synthesized drones the gently eases into the wonderfully restrained dance beat and lush production of ‘Emily’. Follow these up by the distant acoustic guitar strums, blooming repeated motif and choral arrangements of ‘Someone Else’, and you have the three best tracks on the record.
It’s not something Phillips quite sustains throughout the album. It can at times sound repetitive, tracks getting lost amongst others and not in a way reflective of a wholistic album unity. There remain standout tracks, the hand-like quality and driving momentum of ‘Apollo’ and warped and washed-out weirdness of beautiful closer ‘Affection’ provide further thrills, but the sense remains you wish they were all as good as those first three. On the whole, however, it’s a complex album made to sound beautifully simple. Phillips weaves his layers through each other, instruments mimicking voices and voices mimicking instruments to create a constant tapestry of motion. It feels personal, every inch of Phillips going into every minute decision, and his dedication is bringing results. His music has come a long way on Everyday, and can only continue to get better.
