Making the most of his downtime from Frank Turner’s the Sleeping Souls, Nigel Powell AKA – THE SAD SONG CO. – has spent the early part of 2018 touring and promoting his fourth album Worth out 9 February 2018. His second taste of the new album, ‘I Don’t See It’, is released as a YouTube video exclusive on 31st January.
‘I Don’t See It’ is the optimistic heart of Worth. Initially sparse, Nigel’s voice is the lead instrument setting a buoyant melody upon shy electronic notes. His patient words tell of a friend’s need to vent before Nigel admits to optimism, reflected by a shimmering chorus. Support and encouragement join instruments and handclaps, and a bassline gets adventurous, echoing the lift in mood.A heavy synth arpeggio drives through the hopeful outro, with full rumbling percussion building the song through its final burst of understanding.
‘The Sad Song Co.’s fourth album Worth is full of unexpected musical turns, a blend of heartfelt positivity and the self-analytical struggle. ‘I Don’t See It’ is one of the album’s strongest tunes and simplest arrangements which avoids compromising Nigel’s evocative sense of atmosphere.The video, featuring Nigel mouthing the words in shadow, is a perfect visual mirror of this simplicity of form and complexity of mood.
Watch the video BELOW:
Nigel released third album in amber in November 2016, a successful crowd-funded return to solo songwriting nine years after 2007’s Poignant Device while continuing to be in bands and making his living on the road.An album dealing with stories around an old people’s home, it showcased a side of the man that most new fans had yet to see.
Worth strikes while the iron is hot, capturing his current embracing of change and needing to grasp the good things while they last.“When I wasn’t getting time to make albums of my own I would get quite frustrated and depressed in that situation because I didn’t have an avenue for expressing myself the way I really wanted to do it,” explains Nigel. “So coming back to The Sad Song Co. has been a very positive thing for me.” Worth sees Nigel’s productivity in overdrive, further developing his craft to incorporate new sounds and complex shifts in dynamics.As you soak in twists and turns like these, it ends up being the undeniable pop suss that leaves you reeling and enriched.
Personnel on the album include backing vocals from Frank Turner, Billy Pettinger (AKA Billy the Kid), Max Kerman of Arkells and Kat Jones on ‘Worth My Bones’, Jason Moulster of Unbelievable Truth on bass for four tracks, Ryan Robinson tackling the guitar solos Nigel wrote throughout the album, Chris T-T co-writing lyrics for ‘The Body Beautiful’ and ‘Lonely Is A State of Mind’, Radiohead engineer Graeme Stewart recording again, this time for only one day at Woodworm Studios, and Grammy-award winning Chris Kasych (Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young) mixing, with the rest done by Nigel at home.
Nigel has produced an album thoroughly his own. Being so often part of a larger unit, a vehicle for someone else’s songs, this release can only be immensely satisfying and one that not only proves he’s worth his bones, but that creativity will continue to flow when honed and sculpted with such devotion.
UK TOUR DATES
February
7th Manchester – The Castle (w/ El Morgan And The Divers)
10th Aldershot – The West End Centre
11th Southampton – Joiners
13th Nottingham – Bodega
14th Bristol – Exchange
15th London – Thousand Island
16th Devizes – The Lamb
17th Oxford – Museum Of Modern Art
18th Tunbridge Wells – The Forum Basement @ The Sussex Arms
Tickets are £6.50 adv / £7.50 on the door, except London which is £8.50 adv / £10.50 on the door.
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