WESTERMAN – A JACKAL’S WEDDING

Partisan
Released: 07.11.25

From an initial flurry of singles and EPs, through to the towering twin masterpieces of Your Hero Is Not Dead and An Inbuilt Fault, Will Westerman has crafted a fascinating songbook of glorious sound which brilliantly channels the auteur spirit of Arthur Russell, John Martyn and Mark Hollis, whilst still remaining singular, powerful, and so satisfying far from pastiche.

Having initially gained notice for a gloriously sleek sound that coupled spluttering, jackhammering synths with icy clean, finger-picked, open-tuned electric guitars, Will’s first handful of releases as Westerman were notable for his intense collaboration with producer Bullion. The results have cast an intriguing shadow over a number of recent releases; the likes of Ben Howard, Orlando Weeks, Katy J. Pearson and Hayden Thorpe have since summoned Bullion to cook up glorious LPs that all bear a trace of the glorious sound-world he and Westerman conjured up in Your Hero Is Not Dead. With all that in mind, you could have forgiven Will for settling in to a comfortable career, gladly rehashing that glorious formula ad nauseam. Alas, staying comfortably and firmly-set is simply not the Westerman way.

There were hints of the classic Westerman sound in 2023’s An Inbuilt Fault, but, with the sonic assistance of Big Thief’s James Krivchenia, there was clear evidence of a keenness to break the mould, with a stronger reliance on acoustics, intricate drumming and more unorthodox song structures. Inspired by his travels throughout the extent of Greece, the LP made for a glorious shedding of skin, and a marvellous testament to Westerman’s uncompromising ability to push his mastery of the craft into new frontiers.

It’s no surprise then, that long-overdue LP3 A Jackal’s Wedding exhibits an often-surprising batch of curveballs and milestones. The transcendent and euphoric lead single Adriatic hints at the LP being a Hero Pt. II, but listeners hoping for a Westerman-by-numbers back-to-basics transmission will be left dumbfounded by the complexity and abstract richness of the remainder of the record.

Will once again satisfyingly refuses to repeat himself or remain on safe ground. There are still hallmarks of the classic Westerman approach; those spine-tingling multi-tracked harmonies and brilliantly immersive, abstract lyricism, but his sound is firmly rooted in darker, dustier territory. The hammering, brutal sound of About Leaving is a marvellous statement-of-intent, which also brilliantly showcases the album’s marvellous rhythm section of bassist extraordinaire Ben Reed and Warpaint/indie-Zelig drummer Stella Mozgawa.

Those familiar with the astonishing CV of co-producer Marla Salogni will be unsurprised to find the album an audiophile’s delight, with a gloriously analogue sheen that adds charm, warmth and richness to the more stark and minimalist cuts such as Agnus Dei and Nature Of A Language.

All in all, the LP marks a bold step forward from one of the finest songwriters in the field. A Jackal’s Wedding may initially seem too dense to match the impact of its glorious predecessors, but the longer you stay in its vast, powerful grip, the more its sheer quality starts to shine.