Roddy Woomble – Sometime During The Night We Fell Off The Map

In life, some things change while others stay rigidly the same. A dichotomy of movement and inertia, we are defined by the shapes bestowed upon our lives and our attempts to mould our futures.

For some thirty years now, Roddy Woomble has been making sense of his surroundings through song. Both as part of Idlewild and as a solo artist he has stayed true to his musical passion while embracing the shifting sands that change brings.

His last two solo offerings – ‘Almost Nothing’ and ‘Lo! Soul’ were distinctly more electronic affairs than much of what had come before; a sonic foray into new styles and collaborations that yielded exciting results without ever losing sight of what was in the rearview mirror. But if those records were more future-facing, ‘Sometime During The Night We Fell Off The Map’ – now his eighth solo release – is a far more ruminative affair, raising a toast to the past and revelling in unpacking a lifetime’s worth of lessons.

It seems only fitting that on a record focussed on looking back, that Woomble is once again writing with Sorren Macleanwho he had worked with previously on albums such as 2011s ‘The Impossible Song & Other Songs.’

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This record bears the shape that most have come to think of when they think of Woomble’s solo output; a warming collection of communal folk songs lovingly conceived in front rooms, it was recorded in an old church on the Isle of Mull. Its intimate nature is immediately felt from the sound of fingers on strings and the fingerpicked guitar of opener ‘Still So Far To Go,’ a blissfully half dreamt wandering where Woomble seems to try and find balance between clinging on to what you have, while still striving for more.

While much of the album has a Winter feel, ‘Still Painting A Picture Of You,’ is a day-drunk remembrance of sun soaked intoxication. A lilting guitar line and charming backing vocals lends the track a balmy Caribbean waltz, creating a perfect snapshot of a happy time.

‘Good Despite Everything’ is perhaps the pinnacle of the album and nestled among its gently burning embers Woomble’s vocals are pushed to the fore. He once again shows his masterful command of melodies that start out one place and end up somewhere else entirely, much like life itself. In its transcendent final moments amidst ambient swells and hummed vocals, there is an unspoken appreciation for the peace that can be found in the simplest of moments.

Far from sounding like a swansong, ‘Sometime During The Night We Fell Off The Map’ instead feels like a moment of reflection. A chance for Woomble to take stock and appreciate the constants in life, and the little changes that still await.

8/10

Words: Craig Howieson

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