Every day is a highly anticipated second album from Tourist which does not disappoint, adding to a repertoire of critically acclaimed Eps and his debut album U. Tourist is the pseudonym of Cornwall producer, William Phillips, and though you may not have heard of Tourist, you’ve definitely heard his work. He holds co-writing credits for Sam Smith’s smash hit, ‘Stay with me’, and is famed for his masterful remixes of Haim, Wolf Alice and Chvches, to name a few.
As Track 1 'Awake' begins, the ears are met with a mixture of strangely-pleasing, shuffling white noise paired with euphoric voices and fluffy synth tones, imagine Brian Eno’s ‘An Ending (An Ascent)’ with an added light, electronic dance beat behind it. The first 3 tracks move between thoughtful, emotive and breezy tones through to high-spirited focus with the use of electric drums beats that don’t to take away from the underlying euphonious sounds.
Silky, angelic choral voices in track 3, 'Someone Else' make for tranquil listening with delicate notes moving through masterfully layered bars making evident the technological skill Phillips possesses. Track 4, 'Love Theme' has my head bobbing from its senses of empowerment running through its veins matched only by a sweet and fragile pulse beating in the background and I find it refreshing to hear an album that feels focussed and somewhat determined to take the listener on such a thought-provoking and sensitive listening experience.
The repetitive looping chimes & short snippets of piano melodies on the aptly named track 5, 'Pieces' gives the album the twist in mood that it needs, this track contains something that gives it the gravitas a couple of other tracks are lacking. Layer by layer Philips crescendos the track to a complex and eclectic mix of sounds and pulls them together so precisely that becoming a colourful harmony which is then dropped down into a pond of synthy beeps and bleeps rippling into the distance making this moment the most satisfying of the album.
Gin under the sink is easily my favourite so far, not only for its accurately relatable title but because it contains the use of one of my personal favourite instruments, the beloved organ, underused and overlooked, the organ has found its rightful home in ‘Gin Under the Sink’. Philips has executed all components of this song very well, producing a musically versatile track in 'Gin Under the Sink'.
An unexpected but extraordinarily likeable pairing of electric drums and steel drums trickle through track 7, ‘Apollo’, as further electronic synth sounds bring the album back to its dance beginnings and by the end of ‘Apollo’ I am transported to a deep, reverberating place full of bass, just hitting the spot. The novel sounds of distorted, yet graceful instruments used on Everyday entices feelings of relaxation. I was expecting heavier than this; maybe I simply wasn't prepared for an album so full of fascinating reflection on the almost lost humanistic features of everyday life.
If you want to feel placid but focused, this is your album, with its thoughtful and explorative narrative of our mundane social standings, Everyday reeks of intelligent craftsmanship which is absolutely something to be admired.
Tourist has remaining dates in March on his tour in Dublin, Bristol and London, they’re expected to sell out so get your tickets soon as his show will be one not to be missed.
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