10 May 2019
Lewis Capaldi’s second chart-topping single within two months, and with another to follow by the end of the year, means he dominates the Irish number one spot in 2019 the way Ed Sheeran did in 2017. That’s the only direct comparison I’ll make between the two; Capaldi’s more robust songs and style piss on Ed’s simpering ditties from a relative height.
The strings and backing vocals on ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ suggest a bit of ‘Someone You Loved’ money in the Capaldi kitty for fancier production, as well as some awareness of an expectation to deliver another radio hit. I can’t say it does his sound any favours, and the song this time around has less memorable verses. What saves ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ from total tepidity is the booming “Won’t you stay a while?” hook in the chorus, which Capaldi delivers with believable heartfelt emotion. It’s the type of moment his imminent Irish counterparts Dermot Kennedy and Cian Ducrot will mine repeatedly and dreadfully. For Capaldi, though, ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ is a decent-enough consolidation, and he retains my goodwill.
