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Written
by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin
The
third album from songwriter, singer, and guitarist Nick Black, Summer + Spring
rates as his peak moment thus far and shows his development outstripping what
anyone following his career to this point could have credibly believed
possible. His work in a R&B/soul vein, mingled with an occasional dollop of
straight blues, artfully straddles a line between stylistic fidelity to its
source and commerciality. Black has hit upon a winning formula for shaping
genre music whose appeal reaches far beyond purist ranks and, instead,
satisfies both the demands of the form and what modern audiences enjoy in
popular music. He accomplishes this with a songwriting style that’s equally
personal and relatable while his instrumental and vocal talents bring a vibrant
hue to it all without ever risking overwrought moments or gross
self-indulgence. He manages to speak about common experiences while still
providing us with a window into his own and even has the confidence and skill
at this point to lighten the mood with enjoyable comedic moments.
“Joy
to the Girl” has a title alone that hints at the playfulness informing this
collection, but the song plays things straight and soon reveals itself as a
musically satisfying and quite personable song about affection and desire. It’s
a subject as old as time and it’s to Black’s credit that, vocally as well as
via his guitar, he brings a sense of self that gives a veneer of freshness it
might lack in lesser hands. The initially stripped down sound of the title
track soon transitions into a full blown brass driven arrangement and the
transition is handled in especially exhilarating fashion. “Summer + Spring” is
a number assured to lift the mood of listeners without ever straining for
credibility and its buoyant guitar work is icing on the cake. “Nick at Night”
is the album’s clearest blast of humor and certainly connects thanks to Black’s
charismatic vocal and the subtle layers of meaning in the lyric. He’s an artful
songwriter and the finesse he brings to bear positively impacts the entirety of
the album. Black’s guitar playing and sound is another key to its success and “Nick
at Night” benefits from one of his best six string performances.
The
steady pulse, stylized instrumentation, and colorful organ of “Change” comes
together with Black’s usual brass section and guitar excellence to make for one
of the album’s best songs. Like a drummer, it’s enjoyable to hear Black find a
pocket in the music and unleash one of Summer + Spring’s best singing
performances. “Runaway Heart” is a smoky blues number with some beautiful Black
guitar playing and an equally evocative vocal that seamlessly dials into the
song’s mood. Despite the blues sound, “Runaway Heart” is one of the album’s
more commercial tunes despite its bluesy pedigree and comes off as likeable
from the first. His funky side comes to the fore with the song “When the
Morning Comes” and the elastic rhythm section performance is polished off by
some crackling wah-wah courtesy of Black. Black’s upper register inclinations
as a vocalist play particularly well here. We’re back with a bouncy R&B performance
with the track “Dance in the Light” and older listeners, as well as hardcore
devotees of the style, will appreciate the thoroughly modern recording of a
very retro influenced piece. His vocal excellence continues with another
performance that syncs up quite well with the musical arrangement without ever
overly mimicking it. “Outside of You” is a song about rediscovery of self and
moving on presented with such aplomb that it makes potentially difficult
subject matter come across with sophistication and even a little elegance.
There’s definitely a certain amount of elegance sustaining this release as a
whole – Summer + Spring hits all the right notes and maintains a warm,
welcoming air in a musical landscape distinguished by its skill and genuine
emotion.
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