South Londoner’s debut is full of expertly crafted pop hooks and witty, observational writing.
South London DIY poet and songwriter Chas Leman has followed up a string of impressive singles with a standout debut album that ties together the varied elements of his sound with a pop sensibility and a unique lyrical voice.
Written, arranged and recorded by Chas and his band, Wish The Clock Would Go Back is released on 25.06.25 across all digital platforms.
Dedicated to his maternal grandmother, Wish The Clock Would Go Back comprises seven songs that have been released as singles over the last year, three new additions and brief instrumental bookends.
Leman has taken the long way around to get here, and these songs have a lived-in warmth to them. After the brief flurry of strings that comprises ‘Intro’ we are launched immediately into the title track. ‘If I’d taken the batteries out would time have stood still / would you still look at me the way you did before and feel the way you used to feel?’ he sings, wringing the longing out of each line.
Written about his grandfather’s response to the loss of his grandmother, ‘Wish The Clock Would Go Back’ builds into a sweeping ballad, with slide guitar ringing like a bell and the distorted twinkling of electric piano, while cellos follow Leman as his voice floats away into falsetto, before the crescendo drops out and leaves him alone again.
‘Situation Normal’ brings the BPM up a notch, with an intro of chiming guitar interplay giving way to Leman airing his frustration with capitalism and class. His voice is pure Jarvis Cocker as he declares ‘the bees make honey to survive’ while sweet harmonies carry him into the chorus.
We return to slower acoustic territory with Smoking Again, an ode to the temptation of self-destructive behaviour following a breakup: ‘I’ve been smoking again because the world is on its arse / I know it’s damaging, but it’s managing to help make the days go past.’ There’s a self-awareness to the futility of the pursuit as small domestic details build up until they’re insurmountable, swelling like the strings.
‘The Habit of Feeling Happy’ is the first ostensibly upbeat number, even if the narrator’s declarations of happiness don’t feel 100% reliable. Its melody bounces along, while Leman sounds at his most London here. It’s full of sweet things, slide guitar embellishments and cooing backing vocals.
In fact, while he is avowedly of South London, it feels like Leman draws as much from voices of the north – Cocker finds his way into the delivery on more than one occasion, and elsewhere there are flashes of Guy Garvey and Richard Hawley, while several lyrics could be homelier descendants of peak Elvis Costello. Leman is a melodically ambitious songwriter who rarely takes the obvious next step with a note, taking full advantage of a voice that revels in its dynamism, both distinctive and chameleonic.
Working Away From Home has touches of the Beautiful South melodically and in the Paul Heaton note of Leman’s delivery, as he decries the drudgery of being posted far from loved ones. It’s possibly the most ambitious song on the record, with plenty of moving parts working away until they all hit at once at the end to great effect.
From the ringing of the lunchtime bell, the politics of the playground get an airing on The Last Boys to be Picked at Football. ‘We became the best of friends on the day that we met when we were beaten by the cool kids from school / remember Savalon on your grazes frozen peas on my face and daily visits to the nurse’s room’ Leman begins – the song rides along on a killer chorus and some terrific guitar work.
Oh So Lonely takes a slightly psychedelic turn and features some of the record’s standout lyrics and a complex, arresting melody. ‘Because the sink is full of dishes and the bread bin’s full of mould / I stare out of the windowpane and I let my tea go cold.’
I Found Love ends the album on a high, a pure pop gem where Leman finally sounds truly happy without caveat. It’s the sound of a man who’s lived a life that’s had its difficulties and disappointments being unafraid of throwing himself wholeheartedly into hope, and across these 10 songs, it’s entirely earned.
Of course, an entirely DIY record has its pitfalls, and there are moments in the more lavishly arranged songs where instruments could use more space to breathe, but it’s hard to fault an album for being too ambitious for its means.
This is a record that could have been made any time in the last 30 years, and music will always have room for someone like Leman, who brings wit, melody, an eye for detail and generosity. The album succeeds at both being an obvious sum of influences and a new creation that stands on its own, strong enough to warrant a place in the canon in its own right.
Wish The Clock Would Go Back is out now.
Links and resources
Website
Instagram
Chas on Spotify
Catch Chas and his band live in September
11.09.25 - The Brunswick, Hove
12.09.25 - The Cavendish Arms, London
13.09.25 - Castle Hotel, Manchester
14.09.25 - The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham
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