It wasn’t long ago that that Nick Waters released Dream State. According to his Bandcamp page it came out in June. Waters has obviously been diligent about his progress as a musician because his latest release Cycles contains eleven new songs.
The production sounds a bit better this time around. Things like a refined snare sound and more defined low-end were noticeable to my ears. The songwriting isn’t head and shoulders above Dream State but there were a couple of gems that showed Waters seems to getting better and more comfortable. The EP is a bit scattered. Waters goes from fun, loose Strokes-esque garage rock to acoustic based reverb laced melancholy. The juxtaposition isn’t too disparate but it is noticeable. Perhaps the biggest mishap is the intro “Mariposa (Intro)” not because it’s a bad tune but it isn't indicative of anything else on the album. It’s a warm, electronic-based song with a deep kick drum, squiggly synths and lacking any vocals. The next track “Canyon Beach” revolves around organic sounding drums, space-echo-y guitar and an exceptional vocal melody. It’s upbeat and catchy. Waters continues to display he can write a catchy tune with “Sunken Pleasure.” “Wish You Would Notice” starts with a melancholy vibe and eventually gains more instrumentation and transitions to a hopeful second half that contains overlapping vocal harmonies. “Let You Down” had some great guitar picking that reminded me of Radiohead and Waters was singing falsetto. He sounded decent except I couldn't make out a word he was saying. “Ego Waves” is a highlight, which is upbeat and plays into Waters’ strength while “Temporary Fix” is a warm closer. Waters has made some improvements with this album but Cycles is still far from perfect. This is an incremental increase and not a huge leap forward. I think it might be a matter of time before he releases the album that defines his sound.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more. Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
March 2021
|