Review: Will Varley, Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me.

Wednesday was a good day for me because a signed copy of Will Varley’s brand-new album popped through my letterbox. It is the fourth album by Will I have purchased in recent years and is called Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes like Me. It is a most welcome addition to Will’s oeuvre. I thought that Postcards From Ursa Minor was my favourite album by Will, but this new one could be a contender for that title because it contains so many great songs which are immediately accessible to the listener. Also, compared to earlier albums such Kingsdown Sundown this is a lavish production. A lot of time and trouble has obviously been spent on it. Recorded in Will’s coastal stamping ground in Kent Machines is co-produced by Will and his collaborator Tom Farrar who also plays on the recording and co-wrote two of the songs. James Hatton plays drums throughout the ten tracks.  

Long Way Back To Now opens the album displaying Will’s distinctive world-weary plaintive vocals and acoustic guitar. Different Man is more upbeat and given the full band treatment. I have enjoyed watching the youtube video of this tale of hard life on the road for several weeks now because it became the album’s first single release. I loved Home Before The World Ends from the very first time I saw Will perform it onboard the Thekla in Bristol a few weeks ago. It features the backing vocals of Dan Smith from the band Bastille, so hopefully might introduce a new audience to Will’s music. Never Get Tired Of Loving You is probably Will’s wife’s favourite song I would imagine. I bet BBC radio won’t play End Times which is one of the stand-out tracks here. It features the unmistakeable vocals of his friend Billy Bragg. The song shows how Will’s song writing has matured, reflecting how any parent with young children must feel when they look at the news and wonder what sort of world they are bringing their children into. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Gaza with lyrics of famine, stealing of the land, and are we on the wrong side?. Musically I loved the Neil Young style harmonica sound. (See video below)

Will & Billy Bragg.

The title track Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me has Will musing about Artificial Intelligence and the future having already arrived. I agree with him because it is often the mistakes in art that make it more human and real and AI can’t replicate that. Only Louise is another splendid song about being on the road and feeling homesick. The choice of the name Louise immediately reminded me of Visions Of Johanna by Dylan, but that might have been deliberate. It’s not the first time I have thought of Dylan when listening to Will. Venus Returns is possibly my favourite track although that might change tomorrow. Some of the lyrics such as ‘All I want is peace’ echoes the same sentiments as End Times. The rhythmical faster paced Everything Has A Heartbeat features Elini Drake on vocals and Simon Bloor on slide guitar. I think audiences would love this song at the festivals this summer. It leads effortlessly into Whatever’s Left which brings this most enjoyable album to a close. I’m looking forward to seeing Will next month on the Greenpeace stage at Glastonbury, so I hope he features some of these great songs. Highly recommended.

End Times by Will Varley