Album Review

Nix Naught Nothing – The Storm

• 28th Feb 2014

Nix Naught Nothing is the recording alias (taken from a fairy tale) of the Brooklyn based composer Bart Warshaw. Born in London but now making his living in New York, Warshaw has written mainly for film and television. This debut album under the NNN name is very different, although the sense of the dramatic in his songwriting and the huge scope of his music is clearly influenced by these visual roots. Indeed at times it sounds more like a soundtrack than a studio album.

The twelve tracks that make up The Storm were written and recorded in just 28 days, working between Brooklyn and Hampshire. There is a folk feel at the core of many of the songs, but NNN creates something much grander here with sweeping strings and jazzy piano backing his strong vocals. Melodies seem to emerge from the sonic landscape created, rising and falling just like the sea that provides inspiration for many of the songs. A good vocal range is demonstrated throughout, both deep and resonant vocals and delicate higher tones being used. The overall effect is of an album composed and crafted carefully to achieve a grand sound that is dramatic and stirring.

There is a lot of variety amongst the album’s tracks. The delicate In The Winter features a great vocal performance while the album’s first single, Sticks and Stones has a purer folk feel before horns come in to add another layer to the music. The Boy has a much simpler melody, the lovely guitar work backing smooth vocals.

The sweeping romantic epic But Bring Me Love belongs on the big screen. Think ‘30s romantic movie as the dashing lead declares his love for the siren. Icarus with its sea shanty feel and whistled intro again heads back into folk territory while When I’m Alive is almost jazz with its languid strings and slow vocals. And the closing All I Have uses a big vocal harmony effect to add power to another sea themed song that ends the album on a high note.

This is a difficult album to categorise, and that’s a strength not a weakness. There is such a mix of influences and styles here, but the well written lyrics and expertly orchestrated music fuse together very nicely. Nix Naught Nothing has used his undoubted talents very well to create an unusual and stylish collection of songs.

Venue: The Storm
Support Band: self