85% Proof by Will Young - DeepRiffs

ALBUM

Kicking off a new contract with Island, Will Young also seizes the opportunity of a new label to retreat from the electro stylings of 2011's Echoes on 2015's 85% Proof. He doesn't entirely leave synthesizers behind: the album's opener, "Brave Man," is as sleek and glassy as the best Ryan Tedder and he revisits urban soundscapes on "Like a River." Usually, though, Young spends much of 85% Proof alternating between effervescent neo-Motown bounce -- a sound best heard on the single "Love Revolution" -- and stately soulful marches reminiscent of Adele and Sam Smith. While the latter may or may not have considered Young an influence, there's little doubt that Young isn't shy about operating in a post-Sam Smith world, happy to indulge in a bit of high-thread-count soul so melodramatic it feels operatic. Because he has vocal chops, this doesn't feel like either a stretch or thievery, and while it'd be nice if the slower songs were as sticky as the speedier tunes, this nevertheless maintains a classy, well-manicured mood throughout.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

1. Brave Man

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Cello: Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Electric Guitar: Seton Daunt; Performer
Keyboard: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Rick Koster
Richard George
Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Will Young
Julia Singleton
Sally Herbert
Seton Daunt
Tom Pigott-smith
Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah
Oli Langford
Alison Dods
James Eliot; Performer
Viola: Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah; Performer
Violin: Rick Koster
Richard George
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Julia Singleton
Tom Pigott-smith
Oli Langford
Alison Dods; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Mima Stilwell
Will Young; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Sally Herbert; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Mark Rankin; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Mark Rankin
Stuart Hawkes; Production
Composer Lyricist: Mima Stilwell
Will Young
James Eliot; Other

2. Promise Me

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Cello: Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Electric Guitar: Seton Daunt; Performer
Keyboard: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Rick Koster
Richard George
Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Will Young
Julia Singleton
Seton Daunt
Tom Pigott-smith
Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah
Oli Langford
Alison Dods
James Eliot; Performer
Viola: Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah; Performer
Violin: Rick Koster
Richard George
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Julia Singleton
Tom Pigott-smith
Oli Langford
Alison Dods; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

3. Love Revolution

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: Andrea Monica Martin
Edmund Louis Clement
Ivan Matias
James Christopher Eliot
Jemima Rose Adelaide Stilwell
Robert Borrmann
William Robert Young; Composer
Mixing: Mark Rankin; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Mark Rankin; Production
Composer Lyricist: Ivan Matias
Robert Borrmann
James Christopher Eliot
William Robert Young
Jemima Rose Adelaide Stilwell
Andrea Monica Martin
Edmund Louis Clement; Other

4. U Think I'm Sexy

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

5. Gold

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

6. Like A River

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Cello: Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Electric Guitar: Seton Daunt; Performer
Keyboard: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Rick Koster
Richard George
Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Will Young
Julia Singleton
Sally Herbert
Seton Daunt
Tom Pigott-smith
Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah
Oli Langford
Alison Dods
James Eliot; Performer
Viola: Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah; Performer
Violin: Rick Koster
Richard George
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Julia Singleton
Tom Pigott-smith
Oli Langford
Alison Dods; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Mima Stilwell
Will Young; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Sally Herbert; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Mark Rankin; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Mark Rankin
Stuart Hawkes; Production
Composer Lyricist: Mima Stilwell
Will Young
James Eliot; Other

7. Joy

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

8. Blue

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Dan Mcdougall; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot
Dan Mcdougall; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Stephen Wrabel
James Eliot
Dan Mcdougall; Other

9. Thank You

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Background Vocals: Jemima Stilwell; Performer
Cello: Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Electric Guitar: Seton Daunt; Performer
Keyboard: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Rick Koster
Richard George
Chris Worsey
Ian Burdge
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Will Young
Julia Singleton
Seton Daunt
Tom Pigott-smith
Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah
Jemima Stilwell
Oli Langford
Alison Dods
James Eliot; Performer
Viola: Nick Barr
Max Baillie
Reiad Chibah; Performer
Violin: Rick Koster
Richard George
Everton Nelson
Ian Humphries
Julia Singleton
Tom Pigott-smith
Oli Langford
Alison Dods; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Will Young; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot; Other

10. I Don't Need A Lover

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: Nick Jarl
Richey Mccourt; Composer
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Nick Jarl
Richey Mccourt; Other

11. Dare

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Performer: Will Young; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: Ash Howes
Richard Stannard
Will Young; Composer
Mixing: Ben Baptie; Production
Producer: Richard Stannard; Production
Studio Personnel: Ben Baptie; Production
Composer Lyricist: Ash Howes
Richard Stannard
Will Young; Other

12. Where Are You Tonight

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Mixing: Ben Baptie; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Ben Baptie; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

13. You Keep On Loving Me

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell
Will Young; Composer
Mixing: Ben Baptie; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Ben Baptie; Production
Composer Lyricist: Will Young
James Eliot
Jemima Stillwell; Other

14. Always On My Mind

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Performer: Will Young
James Eliot; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: Elvis Presley; Composer
Mixing: Ben Baptie; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Ben Baptie; Production
Composer Lyricist: Elvis Presley; Other

15. What The World Needs Now Is Love

Primary Artist: Will Young; Main Performer
Cello: Ian Burdge; Performer
Drums: James Eliot; Performer
Percussion: Jemima Stilwell; Performer
Performer: Ian Burdge
Will Young
Tom Pigott-smith
Jemima Stilwell
James Eliot; Performer
Violin: Tom Pigott-smith; Performer
Vocals: Will Young; Performer
Composer: Burt Bacharach
Hal David; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: James Eliot; Production
Producer: James Eliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Stuart Hawkes
James Eliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Burt Bacharach
Hal David; Other

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

15 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

52 minutes and 37 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 640x640 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

All tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

13/15 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Pop/Rock

Label

Universal-Island Records Ltd.

Music Distribution Service

Unknown

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Nov 19, 2015

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

60254767830