7/10

Since The Maccabees folded back in 2017, frontman Orlando Weeks had been somewhat of a slow burning individual when it came to embarking on a solo career. While the desire was clearly there, his output was always very scattered and never really felt like it was going to amount to anything more than a few singles here and there. But with the birth of his first child completely redesigning his approach to both life and his creative spirit, he has found a muse in his son that he looks to project throughout his debut solo album 'A Quickening', a release that looks to examine the more subtle and beautiful moments in one's life.

Fans of The Maccabees will be pleasantly surprised at just how far removed this new collection is from their usual output. While he still looks to bring that same wistful vocal performance to his solo guise, the album's overall tone is far more ethereal and atmospheric than many would have expected. But fatherhood has proven to be more than just a schism in his life, it has completely transformed the direction he has wanted to take his music in, making 'A Quickening' a far more humbled and lo-fi record that sees him emerge from the adolescent chrysalis of his former self and unveil a more matured and progressive individual throughout.

Much like the solo work of Thom Yorke and Matt Berninger, 'A Quickening' looks to draw a line in the sand between himself and The Maccabees, showing us that while that time was a huge influence on him, it is now very much a part of the past. Orlando Weeks is now a whole new man, and this new release shows that in all its elegant beauty.