I’ve always loved Nathaniel Paul’s ability to write a simple lyrical message that gets right to the heart of much bigger issues. “The Girl With No Tattoo” alluded to a lost image of simple, unenhanced, unadorned beauty, and “When Stars Weep” saw him lost in a state of love for another, and whilst those ideas might be personal and, to some degree, idealised, his new one addresses a much broader and definable issue.
“Pills” tackles the modern problem of addiction to medication, the fact that more and more of us turn to pills and potions to try to eradicate problems and feelings from our lives. You could argue that it is the working through many of those issues, those to do with love and loss, perhaps, anxiety and life’s challenges, that are part of our evolution as a person, that we come out of the experience a stronger, more well-rounded person. Does medication rob us of that chance to grow, however painful the initial process might be?
Through his trademark direct and straightforward music, a blend of understated indie-pop that pushes just into the fringes of folk and rock, he advocates a simpler, purer approach to life. “Pills” is anything but anti-science; it doesn’t say that medicine is bad, but it does remind us that it isn’t always the best answer to our problems.
As always, Nathaniel Paul talks sense, tells it like it is, and cuts to the chase. His ability to talk about life’s biggest issues and society’s most poignant concerns through such straightforward and instantly accessible songs never ceases to amaze me.
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