Tag Archives: William Doyle

#AmbientAugust no.27 – Erland Cooper & William Doyle – Murmuration

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by Ben Hogwood

Murmuration is the companion album to Erland Cooper’s debut as a solo artist, Solan Goose. It was written with William Doyle, and shows off the ability of both in a ‘less is more’ musical environment, with sonorous drones for each of the three movements, known as migrations.

Here they are, designed for continuous listening – and with Doyle’s comments in mind: One of the most enjoyable collaborations I’ve been involved in. Murmuration drifts in and out of consciousness. It’s a seamless sonic poem that not only evokes the place and memory of Erland’s original compositions, but hopefully of the new frontiers we pushed it towards together.” 

Published post no.2,997 – Thursday 27 August 2026

On Record – William Doyle: Springs Eternal (Tough Love)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

William Doyle returns to the LP format with this response to the ‘ecstasies and agonies of the 2020s’ . On it, he is assisted by Brian Eno, Alexander Painter and Genevieve Dawson.

What’s the music like?

This time Doyle shows his musical versatility through a collection of intricate art pop songs. Drawing on late 1960s pop and psychedelia for inspiration, he updates them with cultural references for today, a kind of coping mechanism for life in the digital age.

Doyle’s lyrics show an awareness of the changing climate, and as he found nearly all the songs mention water in some way. They are clever and well written, with songs like Relentless Melt that are knowing commentaries on modern life dressed with catchy tunes. The orchestration is bright and suits Doyle’s delicate tones.

Does it all work?

Largely – though on occasion the feeling persists that the music on this album is just a bit too bright eyed and bushy tailed, that darker thoughts below the surface are not fully expressed.

Is it recommended?

It is. Springs Eternal is an optimistic statement proving once again how versatile William Doyle can be.