Callum Ford isn’t in a hurry, and that’s exactly what makes ‘Slow Progress’ such a rewarding listen. Emerging from Southend-on-Sea with his first full-length release, Ford trades flashy production for substance, creating an album that sounds like it was made with real time, real care, and real conversations.
Built over the course of three years with longtime collaborator Filip Przybyla, the album truly reflects their musical partnership. There’s a quality to every beat and melody, like these songs didn’t arrive in a flurry of inspiration but were earned through countless sessions, long talks, and quiet growth. “We wanted to take our time, enjoy the process, and make something that felt real,” Ford says, and you hear that in every corner of the record.
Stylistically, ‘Slow Progress’ is hard to pin down, and that’s part of the appeal. From gritty boom-bap undercurrents to smooth, slow-burning R&B and the grit of indie-rock, Ford melds genres with grace. One minute you’re drifting through the moodiness of ‘The Real Thing’, the next you’re caught in the storm of ‘Evil Schemes’, its guitar riffs snarling beneath introspective bars. Yet it never feels disjointed, every shift is a turn in the same emotional arc.
Many of the tracks began as freestyles, and that spontaneity is palpable. There’s an ease to the flow, a looseness that never feels undercooked. It’s less about perfection and more about presence. The kind of emotional clarity that comes not from overthinking, but from sitting with something long enough to understand it.
Recorded entirely in a makeshift home studio, ‘Slow Progress’ carries a sense of creative freedom you can’t fake. It’s that rare debut that doesn’t reach for a spotlight but instead invites you into a room, pulls up a chair, and says, “Listen, here’s where I’m at.”
Callum Ford may be just beginning his live journey, but if this project is any sign, the stage is waiting. ‘Slow Progress’ is a mission statement, and in a world obsessed with overnight success, Ford reminds us of the power in moving slowly, staying honest, and letting the music grow alongside you.
