Torn Between Age & Perseverance feels less like a debut album and more like a reckoning. After nearly a decade of writing, recording, discarding, and rebuilding, King Colobus (South Devon’s Stewart MacPherson) finally releases a body of work that wears its time span openly. These songs carry weight — not just sonically, but emotionally — shaped by years of personal upheaval, political unease, and quiet perseverance. This is an album that sounds lived-in, deliberate, and unafraid to sit with discomfort.
Musically, the record leans into dark, baritone-infused alternative blues, with subtle fingerprints from Interpol’s tension, Johnny Cash’s gravity, Josh Homme’s grit, and the brooding heaviness of Alice In Chains. Yet it never collapses into pastiche. Tracks like “Hole” are devastating in their restraint, tackling dementia and family grief without melodrama, letting space and tone do as much work as the lyrics themselves. In contrast, “World On Fire” pairs an almost deceptively upbeat energy with sharp political commentary, highlighting how outrage and extremism often overpower empathy and nuance in modern discourse. That contrast — warmth versus anger, age versus persistence — runs through the album’s core.
The DIY nature of Torn Between Age & Perseverance only deepens its impact. Recorded entirely at home, and performed almost entirely solo (including drums learned during lockdown), the album feels intimate without sounding small. Every decision feels intentional, every imperfection earned. Rather than chasing trends or urgency, King Colobus allows the songs to breathe, trusting their relevance to speak for itself. The result is a patient, reflective, and quietly powerful record — one that marks not just a milestone in his career, but a statement of artistic resolve.
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