SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SKINSHAPE – CHAPMAN’S POOL

SKINSHAPE
CHAPMAN’S POOL
LEWIS RECORDINGS

London based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Will Dorey has returned with the 11th album from Skinshape. Chapman’s Pool, while written and recorded throughout 2024 and 2025, it is his first record since Skinshape X Horus, released last year. Furthermore, with the exception of Tom Blunt and Dan Hale on drums, Chapman’s Pool was performed and recorded entirely by Dorey.

Chapman’s Pool opens with the soft, winding guitars of “The Blade Of A Knife.” Despite the optimism that emerges from a reoccurring motif played across the bells, there is a sense of longing heard in the guitars and Dorey’s voice, the latter of which is presented with a gentle, raspy timbre that sounds as though he is crawling to the front of the band with all the energy he could muster, making for an emotional delivery. The record continues to build with the stiff funk of “Take It As It Is,” another song that saunters, almost listlessly, as ambient, reverb drenched guitars soar across a stark soundscape.

There is a tone reminiscent of the instrumental work of the likes of The Menahan Street Band established in the opening songs that persists throughout Chapman’s Pool. The arrangements are light with a slight groove to them, with melodies emerging from various instruments, and solos that demonstrate a greater level of restraint and taste alike. While Dorey includes some instrumental songs, like the costal shuffle of the title track, the inclusion of vocals adds an ethos akin to that of singer-songwriter music, set to minimalist and cinematic funk. The combination elevates both aspects mutually; however, lingering similarities in instrumentation, style, pace, and tones, there is an overwhelming sameness to much of the album as songs blend into one another with little standing out. That being said, when a song does manage to stand apart from the rest, like “Together We Win,” or “Last Dance,” it feels significant. Dorey continues to prove himself as a strong songwriter and a more than capable musician, but perhaps this would have shined brighter had Chapman’s Pool been an EP.

All in all, Dorey continues to develop Skinshape’s catalogue with a solid collection of songs. Across 11 tracks, Chapman’s Pool takes on the modern, minimalist funk, popularized by the rosters of Daptone records, with the sensibilities of a singer-songwriter. The result of an intimate take on the style that works well with the Skinshape sound. While not necessarily remarkable, Chapman’s Pool remains impressive, nonetheless.

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