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An Inbuilt Fault

by Westerman

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1.
Give 05:39
I’m sorry I couldn’t hold the breach. Oh Molotov, Can’t reach the garden, Bad roads to town. In all this salty wine, Here, Drink won’t get me drunk. Where’d you leave me hung? Iscariot, Come down. It’s not easy to give. I’m sorry I couldn’t hold the breach. As the heads come off, Can’t be the father, Those days are done. They only seek to realign the fear, Only seek to reaffirm: “We are here”. They only seek to realign the fear, I only speak to reaffirm: I am here with you. And it’s not easy to give. I’m sorry I couldn’t hold the breach, And you don’t have to trust me Anymore. “In all that breeze you can’t hold onto anything”, They said. When it’s said it’s said, We don’t talk much anymore.
2.
Idol; RE-run 03:31
Looking at the idol, On the upper rung, Throwing flowers to the crowd, A shot rang out. Behind the movement, All the pain, The doubt, There goes a juggling bear. There’s always going to be another. We don’t need no re-runs Looking at the idol, He looked bored, and he looked drunk. That matador, survival, Ammunition front, Is all gone now. Like Mother’s love. It’s all gone now. He’s out there running scared, Like any other motherfucker. Mother Fucker Mother Fucker Mother We don’t need no re-runs You wanted to call, but you’re Unsure of what you’d say. There’s blood on every ceiling. So you wait, and wait, And wait, and wait. People die waiting, For the lighting to come back, This way. All while looking at the idol. We don’t need no re-runs.
3.
I, Catallus. 03:50
Stoned, and I give in. Stoned on the silver screen. The strings that we live in, Are always pulling up and down It seems. Poor Judy, Stoned and I give in, Comes tapping, At my walls again. Exacting As an old friend. Calling out. Poor Judy, Gets a lot of this: “Take these bitter leaves from my windowsill”. Cursing, bodybound, Sprints through the forest singing: “Death is a train that cuts through state lines A view is the offering. It’s never too late to give up your seat Don’t worry.” Poor Judy Still the oncoming rain. Till the drink’s gone, Still the pain. Still the offer there, The mess you’ve been living. Oh what an awful sight. You’re not gonna beat this train. Stoned and I give in, No one ever beats this train. No one ever did. It’s bigger than us. Stoned, and I give in. Stoned on the silver screen. The strings that we live in, Are always pulling up and down On me. Poor Judy. “Death is a train that cuts through state lines A view is the offering. It’s never too late to give up your seat Don’t worry.”
4.
Close shave in Petralona. My new friend walked me, Hand in hand, Down to that busy square. You said: “Let’s head some place quieter”. Athens is small, Everybody knows you here. You placed your hands Over my ears. You placed your hands Over my ears. This orange mush isn’t much To write home about. Your confidence is crushed, Well, You seem to do just as well without. Thank you for sitting down with me You said: “Don’t say thank you, I choose to be here freely”. You placed your hands Over my eyes. As you placed your hands Over my ears. Close shave in Petralona. People drinking, taking pills, presenting, And breathing that carnival air. All the balconies were talking to me, Shedding light in a way Nothing else seemed to. From somewhere I called out, A scream. “I think I might be done here”. Won’t you place your hands over my eyes. Would you place your hands over my ears. Would you place your hands over my ears. Would you place your hands over my ears.
5.
Down here in the dew, Smiling for the camera, I reached into my pocket For the snowglobe, and I threw it out like answers. I was happy in the breeze, But with a backdoor just waiting there For me, I took it, Just like that. I needed help. Help didn’t help at all. I only have myself. Now even that feels so ephemeral. Isn’t anybody free? Everything is free, And everything is freely Given to the winner. Keep my eyes closed. Don’t look back into, And learn to let go, How to say no. I like that. I needed help. Help didn’t help at all. I only have myself. Now even that feels so ephemeral.
6.
Some imitation of, A flaw you thought you’d walked across. Old pang, so faithful to us. Old pang, so faithful. I know what I like, I like what I know. I go with familiar. How do I grow? How does anything grow? I need my familiar things, But only the ones I like. Go figure… Some imitation of, A flaw you thought you’d walked across. Old pang, so faithful to us. Old pang, so faithful. “I don’t know who I am anymore” That’s ok. I don’t know who I am anymore, Forgot what I was looking for, I’m noticing how the lens turns, More when I’m asking why. Some imitation of, A flaw you thought you’d walked across. Old pang, so faithful to us. Old pang, so faithful.
7.
Take 03:39
A tripped switch, The chewed wires connecting, Everyone, Has a ceiling. Every feeling is a wire, And every feeling is a wire. Unfit and childish, So childish. The soup kitchen Family Christmas evading. Here for the taking, Taking breaks the heart of love, And taking breaks the heart of love. The street was a river, Swallowed the dim light whole, And shivered. When I think of you, I see a child crying, Humming this tune. Singing taking breaks the heart of love, Taking breaks the heart of love. To Back in Neapoli, Chewed thumbs again, When it comes again. “I need a home and this isn’t a job and Why more records when everything’s melting?” Without the feeling that I had For healing. Every feeling is a wire. Every feeling is a wire. And taking breaks the heart of love.
8.
Honest accumulation; Can’t help myself. The expectation, The empty shelf. I needed congratulations From someone else. A happy accident is caught, Between us, You call out strangers, Well, It’s helpful to talk. Looks like we all turned out another impression Of how the colours turned. Holding, withholding, foreclosing the hand of The milk breath I hold to my chest. Two animal eyes, Breathing, Breeding, Heating it up, Every mouth, every hole, every breath. What a strange ideal, First past the post. An elephant seal, A Holy Ghost. We all could agree there are things in the way. You got them from him, or from her, Or from it, or from them, All I know is I’m not to blame. We all could agree there are things in the way. You got them from him, or from her, Or from it, or from them, All I know is I’m not to blame. We all could agree there are things in the way. You got them from him, or from her, Or from it, All I know is Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala Lalalalalalalalallalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala A happy accident is caught, Between us, You call out strangers, Well, It’s helpful to talk. Looks like we all turned out another impression Of how the colours turned. Are you as afraid as I am? A curtain torn. Are you as afraid as I am? An inbuilt fault. Are you as afraid as I am? A curtain torn. Are you as afraid as I am? An inbuilt fault. Are you as afraid as I am? An inbuilt fault.
9.
Am I the last one living? At the end of giving, The end of moving up. A storm without a cup, An end without a beginning. Am I the last one living? Only sky high above me, Only sea down below. Holding my own shoulder, A relic from another’s dream, Or the freest mind there’s ever been. Yes? No? An answer? Anything. All this sky high up above me, All this sea down below. The pilot was a dancer, a jagaloon. Though his eyes were opaque, And I know he will not answer, Still I hope he gets back soon. Am I the last one living? At the end of giving, The centre of the earth. Deciding my own worth, And whether I deserve forgiving. A coin without a purse. Holding my own shoulder, A storm without a cup. When I wake, I hear The voices of those people I have hurt, Ringing in my ears. I can’t shake the thought that Whether I had cared or hadn’t cared, It would always have brought me here. Brought me tears. Brought me here and brought me tears. Am I the last one living? Brought me here, and brought me tears. Brought me here, and brought me tears. Am I the last one living? The pilot was a dancer, a jagaloon. Though his eyes were opaque, And I know he will not answer, Still I hope he gets back soon. The pilot was a dancer. Though my eyes are opaque, Still I hold.

about

"Westerman — the London-born, Athens-based pop maverick — has returned with his new album, ‘An Inbuilt Fault’.

The album's nine songs took shape throughout the depths of the pandemic and soundtrack Westerman’s reckoning with two years of intense isolation, loneliness, heartbreak, and dread. The phrase “an inbuilt fault” itself is an examination of the inherent and innate flaws that make us human – a visceral response to Westerman’s disillusionment with AI and social media during this time period. 

Through it all, the album is visceral and live-sounding, full of the sound of breath and the idiosyncratic gestures of acoustic instruments. It creates a spatial feeling, sounding like musicians assembled in a room, passing evolving ideas back and forth. Co-produced with producer and percussionist James Krivchenia (Big Thief), and featuring an extended crew of Los Angeles associates, 'An Inbuilt Fault' exhibits music that is heavier and more sonically daring than Westerman’s previous releases, and it is the most adventurous and unselfconscious songwriting of Will Westerman’s career.

‘An Inbuilt Fault’ follows Westerman’s acclaimed 2020 debut ‘Your Hero Is Not Dead,’ a graceful and self-reflective project which earned him a spot as one of the most talked about new artists of the year thanks to profiles from Pitchfork (‘Rising’), Stereogum (‘Artist To Watch’), and Rolling Stone (‘Artist You Need To Know’)."

credits

released May 5, 2023

Performed by Westerman
All Songs Written by William Westerman
William Westerman (PRS) / Published by 4AD Songs Limited/Beggars Music Limited
Produced by James Krivchenia and William Westerman
Engineered by Philip Weinrobe
Assistant Engineering by Phil Hartunian and Fabian Prynn
Additional Engineering by James Krivchenia, William Westerman, Fabian Prynn and Marta Salogni
Mix and Additional Programming by Marta Salogni at Studio Zona
Mastered by Heba Kadry, NYC

Recorded November/December 2021 at Tropico Beauty, Glendale, CA and March 2022 at 4AD Studios, London, UK.

Players:
Mikel Patrick Avery - Percussion
Erin Birgy - Vocals
Mat Davidson - Bass, vocals, violin, piano, synth, acoustic guitar, pedal steel
Robin Eubanks - Trombone
James Krivchenia - Drum programming, synth, drumset, percussion, beatboxing
Ben Reed - Bass
Gibi Dos Santos - Percussion
Booker Stardrum - Percussion
Luke Temple - Piano, electric guitar, synth, bass
Joseph McGrail - Piano
William Westerman - Vocals, drum programming, synths, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass

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