Will Pope - “Punchline”

Photo: Steve Chapman

The UK have once again given us the gift of Will Pope’s music– this time, in the shape of a raw and sincere single known as “Punchline.” When we last heard from Pope, he wooed us with “Rehash,” and we are very pleased that he’s returned with much of that same energy.

Our musical tastes are often formed by the songs we’re exposed to when we’re coming up in the world. Many times, these preferences come from the ability to attribute specific sounds with certain emotions– the way a group of friends can occupy our hearts and the way that music can evoke a more vivid memory than any photograph. So when Pope goes up into his higher register, reaching what we can only refer to as an angelic falsetto, you would be a fool not to recall the glorious voice of Jeff Buckley. And though Buckley was taken from the Earth so abruptly, many of us still have these fantastic memories attached to his music, which, by association, are the same memories that are evoked by Pope’s vocal work. It is the kind of voice that every singer-songwriter wishes they could have; and it is the voice that every music fan wants to hear.

It almost seems as though we are gushing, but once you’ve heard “Punchline,” the way it begins so sweetly, you will see exactly what we mean. Through his lyrics, “You remind me of somebody I wish you wouldn't,” Pope might instantly force you to recall all of the songs that you’ve had to abandon because of the people associated with them– the people that you may have spent years trying to forget, when a simple song has the ability to bring them back into your foreground, likely ripping out your heart all over again. Pope’s music is personal, on many levels. And we’ve been fans since the first time that we heard him. If you’ve somehow managed to live your life without hearing this man’s voice, that should change today– press play.

-TM