“Seventeen Going Under” Gives Listeners A Deeper Look Into The Inner Workings Of Sam Fender’s Mind
Samantha Colleran, October 2021
Sam Fender made a huge splash into the world of music with his debut album Hypersonic Missiles. It’s a bold album, one that goes into topics that a lot of artists shy away from. War, toxic masculinity, mental health, calling out people in higher positions of power, Sam is an incredibly vocal artist, and it’s further proven on his sophomore album Seventeen Going Under. Diving deeper into the above subjects, and speaking more openly about his personal life and experiences, Seventeen Going Under is one of the strongest records of this year.
COVID took a toll on a lot of people, Sam included. He has a health condition that kept him more isolated from the world than most, so he used this time to reflect. While Hypersonic Missiles draws on experiences and inspiration from outside forces, quarantining forced Fender to take a deeper look into his own mind, creating an album that feels authentically Sam Fender.
On this sixteen track album, we get a better idea of who Sam Fender is as an artist and what he wants his musical message to be. Title track and lead single “Seventeen Going Under” is one of the most powerful tracks on the album which highlights the struggles Sam went through at age 17. His mom had fibromyalgia on top of other mental health related issues and was being “hounded by the DWP [Department for Work and Pensions]”; Sam was old enough to understand what was happening but not old enough to do anything about it. “I saw how the government was treating good, honest working-class people who have fallen on their back. They ripped apart every safety net for people in that position,” Sam stated in an Apple Music interview. It’s a strong starting track and is the perfect jumping point from Hypersonic Missiles into this new era of Sam Fender.
Other hard hitting topics are woven throughout the album, some will even move you to tears at points. “Spit Of You” sees Fender opening up about his relationship with his father, “I can talk to anyone/ I can talk to anyone/ I can’t talk to you”. Throughout the song, Sam talks about how he sees more and more of his father in himself as he gets older. There’s a pivotal moment where Sam sees his father in a different light, “The second half of the song talks about seeing him with my grandma when she passed away, and how I saw him as a son, and how that moment reminded me to make the most of my time with him. If anything, it is a declaration of love for him.”
Seventeen Going Under as a whole is a triumphant album despite it’s darker moments. We watch Sam work through all of the emotions that come with seventeen, and he comes out of it stronger than ever. It’s a well rounded body of work both musically and content wise; family struggles, industry talk on “Mantra” (“”Please stop tryin’ to impress people who don’t care about you”/ I repeat as a mantra”), frustrations with those in high standing political positions on “Aye” and “Long Way Off”, and overcoming depression (“The Leveller”) and suicidal thoughts (“The Dying Light”, which is a sequel to “Dead Boys” from Hypersonic Missiles), it’s all covered on this incredible sophomore album from one of the most underrated musicians currently on the music scene. Blend these topics with strong lyricism and an indie rock vibe and you have the perfect album.
Sam’s Song Selection
This took a few listens to solidify a top three because I don’t think there is a single bad song on this album, and it felt near impossible to pick a favorite. This may change after a few more listens, but for now…
1. “Spit Of You”: In terms of emotion, this one was the most hard hitting for me, especially after learning what the second half of the song is about. The instrumentals are some of my favorite on the album, and I love how Sam doesn’t shy away from the tough subjects.
2. “Paradigms”: This song can also be pretty heavy, but it has hopeful undertones. Sam wrote this song about losing a friend to suicide, and he got some of his friends from home who knew this friend to sing the line “No one should feel like this”. Gut wrenching and healing at the same time, what else can you want from a song?
3. “Good Company”: Recorded live in one take, this track is one of the most hard hitting. Sam recognizes both the good and bad qualities he has (“Sometimes I’m good company/ Sometimes I’m a curse”), and he realizes he puts the bad parts of himself into relationships he has. It’s such a real and honest song, and the fact it was recorded live further proves Sam’s incredible talent.
If you’ve listened to the album, let me know your thoughts and share your favorite track in the comments! If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend you do, it’s a long album but every second is worth it.