7/10

When Benjamin Francis Leftwich delivered his third studio album 'Gratitude' in 2019, it arrived with an important piece of personal news from the frontman. The previous year, he had spent almost a month in rehab to fight his alcohol addiction and that new collection marked his first piece of new material since going sober. Now after a few more years on the wagon, he is back once again with his fourth full-length 'To Carry A Whale', marking his first release written and recorded entirely sober, and showcasing that he is ready to continue on in a far better state of mind.

The name itself, 'To Carry A Whale', is a nod to the burden he has had to overcome these last few years, which has given his music a far more forward-thinking approach. While much of his older material saw him in a more solemn and subdued guise, this new record is far more uplifting and euphoric endeavour. And while his normally whispered and textured approach does sometimes jar with the more upbeat tones on here, it generally has this fresh and captivating style to it, showing that we are beginning to see a new side to the Benjamin Francis Leftwich sound.

While it may not be the most high-profile of his works to date, 'To Carry A Whale' marks an important milestone in his career and gives us an inkling of what we can expect from him from now on. Benjamin Francis Leftwich has always looked for the more atmospheric of songwriting tropes, and this new LP is no different there.