Captain Wilberforce’s ‘Dust Just Won’t Settle’

FFO: Rock, Alt-Pop, British Indie

Combining an aggressive guitar attack with catchy riffs and vocal work, the forthcoming album from Captain Wilberforce is a wealth of songwriting talent. Musical structure and performance rule with an alternative pop rock sound. The complexity of the Captain’s When The Dust Just Won’t Settle is the antidote to uninspiring earworms and shallow repetition. Wilberforce should be the go-to artist for restless indie aficionados in search of higher quality. But of course there is more.

As for listening enthusiasts, there is no need to fight temptation because Captain Wilberforce’s When The Dust Just Won’t Settle arrives May 1, 2020, complete with ten original songs. Wilberforce’s fifth full length album, to paraphrase Declan MacManus, easily stands up from falling down. Proof can be heard beginning with the 4:10 opening number, “Sad Machine.” Notice the length of the track avoids conforming to a shortened radio play standard. That is partly the reason for the alternative tag. An inviting melody and accessible time signature welcome listeners before the guitar’s amplitude kicks in and things get under way. An electronic drum tone sets the pace as low key vocals enter the mix. The title accurately matches the music.

Next up, “The Last Dance Is Over” has a heavier quality via a thicker guitar character while remaining tuneful. Once again, the vocals come across as subtle but no less significant. The drumming makes more use of skins compared to the opening track. Lyrics convey Wilberforce’s message: “Thought we had the world at our fingertips/Love within our grasp/Now the world weighs hard on our shoulders/And it comes to pass/That the last dance is over.”

A melodious but somewhat moody piano introduces “I Think That She Knows” prior to the songwriter’s storytelling. Elsewhere, “I’m The Fool” returns to more of a rocked out feel in volume and presentation. Though comparisons to Gaz Coombes are in line, Squeeze’s Difford and Tilbrook also come to mind. Changing things up a bit, “The Finest Excuses” is mostly an acoustic drive before culminating in a bold mix. Some songs, like “Green Unpleasant Land,” retain almost a Beatle-esque quality. “Take Me To The Moon” too.

The band on When The Dust Just Won’t Settle is Si Bristoll – vocals/guitar/keyboard; Carl Banks – drums/programming; Rob Simpson – guitars/keyboard/percussion; and Max Borghesi – bass. Additional instruments include Jon Scully – trumpet; Deryn Cullen – cello; Ric Neale – piano; and Mike Tupper – French horn.

For more about Captain Wilberforce please visit:

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Paul Wolfle, the publisher of musicinterviewmagazine.com, is a web-based journalist who has written for several popular sites. Paul has a passion for connecting with a diversity of musicians who are looking to grow a positive presence on the World Wide Web.