"The ongoing seaside adventures of Nick Ward are continuing to excite Internet Blogs and music sites, all with a shared addiction to wonderfully structured Power-Pop. Whether the latest recording project involves explosive fuzzed-out guitar or expressive acoustic soul searching. Essential British musical observations and New Wave counter culture happily studied on eccentric hazy vinyl, Nick Ward`s connection with Sixties Soul, Britpop and radio friendly Indie is all apparent after just a few listens".
The warm affection shown to coastal excursions through tuneful observations is soul inspiring. Pink Bay has succeeded in merging Nick Ward`s preferred guitar styles and seamless production ideals - A glowing testament to his flexibility and art-pop dedication. Historically, a musicians second full length release can become awkward, often pieced together with offcuts and indulgent musings - The Jam/This Is The Modern World and The Kaiser Chiefs/Yours Truly Angry Mob, even The Stone Roses failed to duplicate their previous hard graft and social standing. Nick has certainly not relinquished his original influences, pacing through the melody and phrasing of `Andy Partridge` Power-Pop while gently unfolding the subtle quirkiness of a Ray Davies storybook. Eleven songs of regret, hope and prosperity allowing the capacity to drown in sound without the salty, sand filled after taste. The first single lifted from Pink Bay is `Can You Heal Me Now` followed by the August 23rd release of `Just Look Around You`, I would presume the worldwide Pink Bay release will follow this date.
The warm affection shown to coastal excursions through tuneful observations is soul inspiring. Pink Bay has succeeded in merging Nick Ward`s preferred guitar styles and seamless production ideals - A glowing testament to his flexibility and art-pop dedication. Historically, a musicians second full length release can become awkward, often pieced together with offcuts and indulgent musings - The Jam/This Is The Modern World and The Kaiser Chiefs/Yours Truly Angry Mob, even The Stone Roses failed to duplicate their previous hard graft and social standing. Nick has certainly not relinquished his original influences, pacing through the melody and phrasing of `Andy Partridge` Power-Pop while gently unfolding the subtle quirkiness of a Ray Davies storybook. Eleven songs of regret, hope and prosperity allowing the capacity to drown in sound without the salty, sand filled after taste. The first single lifted from Pink Bay is `Can You Heal Me Now` followed by the August 23rd release of `Just Look Around You`, I would presume the worldwide Pink Bay release will follow this date.
Nick Ward : Follow The SunLearn More And Buy
Previous Nick Ward Reviews
I managed to hit Nick Ward with a handful of questions this week, nothing too serious but a brief insight into Pink Bay was appreciated.
1. Your song writing, how do you approach the process in terms of the inspiration needed?
"I always have bits & pieces on the go that I work on, but it's when I get excited about a chord progression or a lyric, that's when I'm off and runnng with it. The best ones are always written quickly. It's also influenced by what I am listening to at that time. I have my favourites that I always play & they will always be an influence, but as a writer you have to open yourself up to new music whether it's from 1940 or 2010. I have probably listened to more acoustic artists recently, Nick Drake, Cat Stevens, Tunng. I've also learned to appreciate the songs of Sinatra, Billie Holiday and 60's Brazilian bossa nova. There's worlds of music to discover! The lyrical side of it is different. Without trying to sound predictable, Pink Bay is a more personal album, I have taken from recent experiences. A Map & A Pin was written about a friend whose partner turned into an aggressive alcoholic. All The Dreamers was written after the fox-hunting ban came in, & it was ignored. Can You Heal Me Now can mean different things to different people, but to me it's about our leaders taking us into Afghanistan & Iraq. But the album's not all doom & gloom"!
2. Pink Bay, A special place?
"Pink Bay is a nearby beach. It's called that because the rocks surrounding it are.....pink! Well, a larva sorta colour. For me it seems to be inspirational. I take my dog there regularly, and nearly always head home with a song in my head. It's a very nice spot on a sunny day, lots of large rock pools....and some fresh water springs under the sand. Yes....special".
3. Solo singer/songwriter or the comfort of a fast-paced Rock`N`Roll band?
"Now that's a good question. Do I have to choose? When recording....solo. Playing live....band. It's difficult to choose because I write & record a variety of stuff. Some songs suit a band set up, some don't. All my favourite writers/performers have variety to their work....McCartney, Costello, Weller, Young, Davies....I'm damned if I had to play just one type of music. I want to push myself. It's not enough to just be in a band, I have to create. Think The Beatles.......Yesterday & Helter Skelter were written by the same bloke. I try to do that in my own way. By the way, there's no comfort in a Rock n Roll band! Ha ha ha"
4. A Nick Ward track remixed, a future possibility or an uninteresting proposition?
"I think there's a couple of remixes already in production. But if anyone reading this fancies a go, why not".
No comments:
Post a Comment