The Wild

With EP No. 3, Lewis Watson made the leap to brighter, stronger, and more polished productions. The loss of intimacy is immediately counterbalanced by songs so strong that the Watson story sounds nearly too good to be true. On the strength of covers posted to YouTube and an early EP (It’s Got Four Sad Songs on It BTW), Watson was courted by major labels and settled on Warner Brothers, citing their strength in handling singer/songwriters such as David Gray, Damien Rice, and Neil Young. Unlike the solemn, self-deprecating EP titles (the second EP is called Another Four Sad Songs), there's nothing sad sack about Watson or his obvious talents. Both “Into the Wild” and “It Could Be Better” come across as earnest love songs with an easy-handled pop ear. Watson’s talents could eventually turn his music too slick, but here he’s in the sweet spot where the beauty of his craft is overpowering. “Little Darling” allows him an easy jaunt with acoustic guitar and the kind of mild seasoning that proves this isn’t simply acoustic music. A cover of SBTRKT’s “Hold On” shows Watson tackling R&B, with a convincing falsetto within his reach.