Charlie Cunningham

Lines sketched the template, now new record permanent way finds the UK singer-songwriter making bold new steps.

- Matt Parker

It is the sound that gets you first with Charlie Cunningham. The London-based songwriter’s 2017 debwut Lines combined opposing worlds in its blend of balmy nylon-string acoustic, thoughtful lyricism and warm synth swells. It quietly and confidently established a sound all of its own – one reflective of Charlie’s diverse journey from Squier-wielding punk kid to flamenco student and on to explorer of ambient territory.

“You’ve got to go into these knowing what it is that you want to do,” says Charlie. “You’ve got to be thinking ahead. I definitely made the first record to be kind of stripped, to be about the song, about the guitar and the voice – but that felt like a necessary thing, before I could make a record like I’ve made just now. I feel like I’m going through these steps.”

The latest stage of this evolution, Permanent Way – released back in June – is confident enough to take the sound of Lines as its base, yet not make the mistake of chasing the debut. Instead it stretches that definition, adding a full band, new producers, including Rodaidh McDonald (The xx, King Krule, Daughter), and richer arrangements.