Despite it seeming as if everyone is picking up an acoustic guitar these days, perhaps under the deluded impression that such an action allows you to call yourself a singer-songwriter, the real deal is actually in short supply. This relentless deluge of wannabee musicians only accomplishes to dilute the scene’s essence, and searching for anything worthwhile becomes akin to hunting for a needle in a haystack.
Yet, amidst this cacophony, every now and then, a musical beacon emerges from the depths, shining bright in the darkness of the night. And recently, I had the pleasure of basking in the glow of such brilliance, all thanks to Nick Bellerose.
This collection of bare, fairly unembellished compositions stands as a veritable masterclass in crafting poignant melodies using the most rudimentary of building blocks – mainly just an acoustic guitar, a warm and welcoming voice, and only a few additional and essential sounds to add sonic color.
“Our Love is Gone” sets the tone perfectly, a spacious slice of acoustica floating over a background of drifting and emotive sonics, a perfect template for an album of songs built only from what is necessary and constructed deftly enough that the light shines right to the heart of the music.
“That Night” is dreamlike and hazy, “Walk Like A Man” benefits from the tantalizing boy/girl harmonies, “Every Time” wanders into some more beat-driven, country-pop realms, and album closer “Since I Laid My Eye’s on You,” sounds like the sort of thing that John Martyn might have written. As references go, it doesn’t get better than that, not in my world.
This album is nothing short of a triumph. It is a resounding testament to the fact that if you possess the knack for spinning great melodies, then a bare minimum of instrumental embellishments is all you need to drive them straight home into the core of the listener’s soul.
