Neil Potter – Out of the Fjords and Into New Found Lands (Album Review)

Have you ever heard of a professional musician from Liverpool in the Northwest of the United Kingdom? Well, if you haven’t the faintest clue of who I’m referring to, I’m referring to Neil Potter. Neil has worked under two separate agencies, playing covers mostly, but he spends most of his cherished time running his own successful business teaching music, which he’s done for the past 14 years teaching all the things evident in his music.

He describes his own music style as one that intertwines many styles to bring something a little different, but still maintaining a central node to stay fairly rooted. His music has catchy melodic hooks, delivered through clever songwriting and compositional elements. He takes his listener on a journey of self-discovery, accentuating the fact that his lyricism tends to deal with talk about real life, with real emotions that strike a chord with the modern world.

It is also noted that Neil plays mostly acoustically live, using clever ways to loop his guitar and voice. He also can be seen hitting his guitar to create percussion, giving an upbeat and lively feel to all of his songs. This knack for innovation with not many tools makes it where he can play in a band at the drop of a hat with friends, some of whom he notes are in the business.

But in today’s article, there’s a reason why we’re honing in on his artistry.

He is about to release ‘Out of the Fjords And Into New Found Lands’, his debut solo album, serving as a 13-track epic with a full band and orchestration, as well as a few stripped-back numbers, showcasing his ability and versatility. We on Music Review World shall get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look on this release, set to come out on October 22nd 2025. The album is also entirely produced by Potter, which is quite interesting to note.

The album’s notes state that pop-rock could be considered the backbone of the release, with soothing melodies and emotional lyrics reminiscent of early Coldplay, Keane or The Fray. However, Neil Potter aims to differentiate himself from these acts by expanding upon that motif and inspiration by adding different directions and dimensionalities, reflecting his passion for jazz and experimental ideas in songwriting. Each song acts as a ‘mini stage’ for him to also push his vocal range, with some tracks demonstrating his ability to push his vocals into a higher range while modulating beautifully with vibrato techniques at the same time- and also, embracing his haunting lower register, lending a great deal of emotional range to this work.

This release is definitely quite exciting, with a lot of interesting ups and downs within this album. I think it has a capacity to divide people, honestly, as it does sound very polarising to my ears. It has a baseline node of musical competency especially when it comes to the instrumentation and the compositional aspect of this entire album, but the vocalist’s voice and at times, even the way it blends with the background vocalist, does not necessarily sound soothing. I understand, though, that not all of the themes on this album were meant to be soothing. I can hear the attempt at theatric, dramatic vocals, and they’re not necessarily bad, I just think the timbre of the main vocalist’s voice needs to grow on you before you entirely appreciate it.

In terms of themes and soundscapes, there’s a lot mixed into one but they still fall within subcategories of predictability when it comes to rock and the indie subgenres that one may be influenced by. It’s good, earnest music that can fall between funk in some instances, Spanish flamenco influence in another instance, and sometimes just a simple, clean acoustic slate for the vocals and the instrumentation to come out.

The three singles that will come out of the release will be the track ‘Over The Hills’, described as a signature Neil Potter classic with 70s rock influence clustered throughout the instrumentation. The project aims to give a bit of nostalgia to the whole she-bang, tying in the desire for experimentation with an extra oomph of relatability besides merely relating to the lyrics.

Secondly, the next single will be ‘Música El Idioma Del Amor (My Sweet Señorita)’, adding a vibrant, Mediterranean twist to the upcoming album, being also sung partly in Spanish.

Thirdly, the last single will be ‘Shipwrecked’, blending compelling and dynamic instrumental arrangements through infectious and groove-driven guitar patterns and soulful beats. I have to give this song its merit, being one of the few songs in the album that combines more ‘energy’ and subversive intent, giving a bit of excitement.

However, I find that this release lacks two things: true originality, even in the spirit of innovation, it sounds really quite predictable and I find that unfortunate. Secondly, the mixing and mastering sound a bit flat. For example, I think the instruments in the song ‘Shipwrecked’ are a bit too level, when more could be done to give the song a bit more three-dimensional dynamics. This issue is pervasive throughout the rest of the release, where the instrumentation sounds a bit too flat.

Either way, beyond my expectations and personal bias, I do think that this is an album that could potentially resonate with people, especially those that seek some sort of nostalgia not only through thematic choices but the way that this release presents itself. I think people who miss rock and rock-fusion music of the mid 2000s would definitely welcome this release with open arms- it is familiar, and filled with emotional intensity.

SCORE/Good to Excellent: ‘Out of the Fjords And Into New Found Lands’ is an interesting body of work that does take me back to the creativity displayed within rock acts and rock fusion acts of the mid 2000s. It delivers on eccentric vocalisms paired with hard-rock esque melodic hooks to keep your emotions running, providing you with the satisfaction of relatability and predictability, even if it aims to be unpredictable.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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