Amber Run have come a long way since the days of being at Nottingham University together. Over the years, the band have worked incredibly hard and their efforts go to show through the buildup of the many (beautiful) victorious milestones that they’ve achieved. Their debut album; 5am, made it into the charts as a top 40 album, their smash-hit song – I Found, has not only been televised on multiple shows but became a gold record, selling over 500,000 copies, in 2019. The band have also toured all around the UK and Europe, as well as America. I think it’s safe to say that Amber Run have continuously given their all when it comes to the music that they make and once again, we see proof of this from their recently released, stunningly poignant 4th album; How To Be Human.
How To Be Human originally came to be from an email the band had received with the subject line of “how to become a millionaire in 30 days.” This sparked off a concept for the creative trio, not one based on money but instead the idea of a self-help type guide on “how to feel human as much as the time as possible.” Written with themselves in mind, in hopes their fans could take something away with them. The record was a long time in the making but one that has now thankfully come to be.
“It’s a record about growing up. About living a life and how sometimes life happens to you. It’s a record about highs and lows and everything in between.” – Amber Run
The album aptly takes us down a path of extensive emotions, depicting precisely what it’s like to be human and with a soundtrack of soft harmonic numbers, alongside ones with more of an upbeat euphony, the overall essence of the record is one of sincerity, conveyed in the most beautiful of ways. The album begins with an engaging piano based melody – Flowers (Interlude II), showing lead singer; Joe Keogh’s heavenly vocals off to perfection. The tempo then rises as we get to a couple of my personal favourite tracks; Hurt and Honeylight, two songs that to me bring a sweet sensation of relief and delight. As we listen on, the sentiments only grow deeper, persuading the listener to take the conscious decision to really pay attention to the heartfelt lyrics delivered to us throughout and by the time we get to the title track of; How To Be Human, one is utterly and significantly invested.
A touch that I find endearing, is how the penultimate track of the record is named; The Start. After a journey of ups and downs, The Start is a friendly reminder of the possibilities of what could be, the excitement before a transformation, ahead of arriving at the final number; The Last Dance. So entirely relevant when it comes to being human, as inevitably, we will all have our last dance at some stage. I simply adore the concluding song of the album. Its haunting melody in hand with Keogh’s divine singing voice, just wow, *shudders*!
“We try and pour as much of ourselves into our record as possible and I think that vulnerability is at least half the battle when it comes to making art or producing artistry.” – Joe Keogh
Amber Run do an exceptionally good job at being truthful within the music that they create and How To Be Human is the complete model for that. The group manages to convey life’s struggles, knowing full well how painfully dark moments can get, in such a way that really allows the listener to not only relate and feel understood, but also feel lifted and comforted. I know for me personally, there’s nothing quite like going on a walk around the park listening to Amber Run. As a long standing fan, I’ve witnessed a real unity between the band and their loyal followers, which is something I find incredibly wholesome and for that reason, I believe Amber Run are a very special band.
You can catch the band and hear new tracks off How To Be Human live on their upcoming UK/EU tour at the following dates: