In the immortal words from Monty Python, “And now for something completely different”. Here at TMR, we like to make sure a broad representation of music is available and from time to time, we leave our comfortable realms of punk and metal for something a bit out of the ordinary when there is a special connection to our regular artists. Such is the case with singer/songwriter Abby Nicole, whose debut ep caught our attention.
Without giving too much away at this point, Abby Nicole is a singer/songwriter from Boise, ID who has only been playing guitar for about six years, but has been exposed to music in various forms and writing songs for longer. Her first release was actually on a benefit compilation and she’s playing as many local shows as she can. If you’re bothered by spoilers, I suggest you stop reading the review right now and go watch her video for “Follow Me” and check out the rest of the ep and then come back.
From the opening of “Still Here” on the ep, one can’t help but notice the warm, intimate feeling of the sound on the ep. It’s almost as if she’s sitting in your living room playing these songs. With songs of this type, it’s the voice that really pulls you in and Abby has a great combination of tone and clarity that fits well with the music and easily conveys the emotion of the songs. Punk rock songs often work well in an acoustic setting such as this as the lyrics and honesty in the performance is what drives good punk rock and that same sincerity comes through in Abby’s performance.
There is one aspect that I simply cannot leave out, so if you’re worried about spoilers, beware. The biggest surprise is that Abby is a mere 15 yrs old! I did know this going into the review and in listening to the songs, I was struck by the emotional maturity in the heartfelt lyrics and the confidence in how they were delivered. These are songs of struggle and doubt and the important role of faith in dealing with life, pretty heady topics for one so young.
While there is not a bad song in the bunch, I would say my two favorites would be “The Journey” and the titletrack “Follow Me”. I did mention a tie to one of our regularly covered artists and the opening chords of “Follow Me” do remind me a bit of something from a certain punk artist also from Boise, leading to think there are some good genetics involved here. From a songwriting standpoint, “Follow Me” has some little things in some of the phrasing of the lyrics that ended up being hooks that pulled me into the song . “Follow Me” has that airy Sixpence None the Richer Feel to it and really works well with the video. The song itself is about the struggle of staying on the “narrow road” and following Jesus while wanting to “wander for a while on my own” and the desire to strike out on our own that many of us can relate to..”Just let me lead is what I scream, but I need you here to guide me home”.
Much like any acoustic album, success really relies on the artists ability to strike a chord in the listener and not all songs will do so for all people, but Abby Nicole has managed to put together a good collection of songs where many can relate and she’s delivered them with honesty and sincerity and a confidence that belies her age. Seems pretty punk rock to me…
Rating: 7/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist
1. Still Here
2. The Journey
3. Sail On
4. Much More
5. Follow Me
Musicians:
Abby Nicole – vocals and guitar
Record Label: MMLJ Records, Jan. 2015
Weblinks: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Website
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video for ‘Follow Me’