It seems only right that the artist who became known for being the soundtrack to teenage oblivion would write a track titled after one of the most popular adolescent destinations in London, otherwise known as Camden. However, despite this town being known for its vibrant culture and always being filled with life, Matilda Cole longingly croons for a simpler time within her family life through an array of hopeful yet blunt lyrics. Her soft timbre opens the piece up and lets us know exactly what we’re in for, painting a vivid scene of a core memory during her childhood that will resonate with countless listeners both young and old. She doesn’t hide the ugly stuff that comes with dealing with a divorce, she opens up about the effect it’s had on her as well as her siblings, specifically focusing on her brother squeezing her hand once she found out in a beautiful moment of sibling love, amongst a plethora of other heartfelt images that will see your heart grow 10x it’s size. You become apart of her story, seeing her during these moments as her celestial timbre becomes your narrator, never skimping out on a single detail and leaving you in awe of Cole’s natural storytelling talents.
Powerful lyrics intertwining with a solemn nostalgia that will leave you reaching for the tissues, raw passion that makes the story pack an almighty punch and a wistful soundscape to top it all off, this might be Matilda Cole’s best track to date. From start to finish it’s a spellbinding affair but it’s the final lyric, “And then you’ll come to hate who you loved at the start,” being the sucker punch that left me floored.