Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor released  ‘Complete Surrender’, back in July, leaving their fans spellbound. Described by ‘Pitchfork’ as the duo’s “proud step into the world of soul”, their third studio album demonstrates Watson and Taylor’s ability to evolve and expand their signature indie sound.

Having recently seen them live in London for the album’s official release, I was struck by the complete ease with which Charles and Rebecca took to the stage. Developing from their first mixtape-esque album ‘Yeah So’ in 2009, it is clear that the two have come a long way. On-stage, Taylor ensured that the audience was hanging from her every word, her soft yet striking vocals commanding the attention of everyone in the room. However she managed to not completely overshadow Watson, whose understated presence was vital in holding the band together on both guitar and grand piano.

The two stand-out tracks on the album remain to be both ‘Suffering You, Suffering Me’ and ‘Number One’. The band released a music video for ‘Suffering You, Suffering Me’ in which Watson trains Taylor to become a champion boxer. This up-tempo track exemplifies Taylor’s distinctive voice in showing off her incredible vocal range whilst capitalizing on Watson’s consistency to constantly engage his listeners with yet another catchy melody. In contrast, ‘Number One’ is more simplistic with a beautiful piano accompaniment and interweaving vocal harmonies. The broad spectrum of genres and tempos across the album result in a truly exciting release, one music fans everywhere are raving about. I for one cannot wait to find out what’s coming next.

Stasi Roe

photo 1: undertheradarmag.com 
photo 2: assets.amazingradio.com