Review: Nina Nesbitt - ‘The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change’
NINA NESBITT
THE SUN WILL COME UP, THE SEASONS WILL CHANGE
Nina Nesbitt’s long-awaited sophomore LP is a brilliant and deeply personal record that embraces resilience and proves why she is one of Britain’s most exciting modern pop stars.
★★★★
Nina Nesbitt has had a tumultuous journey through the music industry this past decade. Originally starting off as a clearly talented folk-pop singer back in 2011, who was quickly plucked from a small town in Scotland. Stardom wasn’t to be however as her career was quickly derailed by lofty expectations from a major label who you could argue offered inadequate support.
This left the underrated singer-songwriter in the lurch and out on her own. A period of songwriting in her bedroom for major artists such as Jessie Ware managed to reignite her passion for music and a partnership with the independent label Cooking Vinyl has led to, six years later, her sophomore record ‘The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change’.
If you’ve been following Nesbitt over those last six years you would have noticed changes in her style, gradually over time she’s ditched the folk style of her previous music and embraced synths and modern production styles (born out of once again experimenting on her own in her bedroom). It feels like a natural progression and even though her style has changed, her songwriting and production skills have only flourished.
As you may have guessed from the title, the record encapsulates all of Nesbitt’s experiences from the past few years and focuses on the idea of that there will be a bright side on the horizon. It’s incredibly personal, at points you feel as if you’re intruding on someone's life, peeking into their diary. ‘The Moments I’m Missing’ is a stellar example of this. The verses taking you from all the way back when she was 5, dreaming of working at a bar till when she started racking up numbers online “But I had a dream, I had a goal, got a guitar and a camera phone”.
As well as professional struggles, romantic heartache is also a prominent theme throughout the record, Nesbitt, however, takes on this traditional theme with a delightful empowering twist. ‘Loyal To Me’ is a delightful acoustic meets 90’s RnB female anthem about ditching those disloyal f**k boys. Whilst counterpart ‘Colder’ is about the struggles of opening your heart after someones broke it, all set to icy synths and a catchy chorus.
Nesbitt likes to contrast her two albums, seeing her debut being made by ‘a girl’ and this follow up by ‘a woman’. Which is an incredibly apt description, it may seem obvious but the level of emotion and intimacy poured into the album can only be produced (both literally and figuratively) by someone who's lived through these experiences. It has also allowed her to touch on different, less contemporary subjects. Any twenty-something can relate to the feeling that their life is moving in a different direction or pace to their friends but I’ve never heard it placed into song like Nesbitt does with ‘Chloe’, named after a longtime friend who when she first got pregnant, threw Nesbitt with a whirlwind of emotions.
Strangely, the time taken to make the record means we’ve been sat with some singles for nearly two years now, it’s a testament to Nesbitt’s pop prowess that tracks such as ‘Best You Ever Had’ remains as strong as ever and fits perfect thematically alongside the newer material.
Of the new material, Nesbitt incorporates upbeat RnB jams such as the 90’s infused ‘Love Letter’ (another standout pop single crafted with Fraser T Smith) alongside intimate introspective tracks like the wonderful album opener ‘Sacred’ and Nesbitt’s personal favourite ‘Is It Really Me You’re Missing’, a touching and powerful ballad that builds to an almighty crescendo. It showcases just how impressive Nesbitt’s vocals are, one of her more understated qualities.
There is a slight pacing issue towards the back of the record with the first half containing the majority of the big pop singles whilst the album finishes on 5 straight ballads, maybe a light shuffle would have kept the energy flowing throughout, saying that the ballads are strong and interesting, live fan favourite ‘Last December’ is reminiscent of idol Taylor Swifts ‘Speak Now’ era and ‘Things I Say When You Sleep’ is a loving ode to her boyfriend.
Like previously mentioned, the title track ‘The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change’ was written in a dark place of uncertainty for Nesbitt and It works as an ideal point of reflection to close off the record and this chapter for the Scottish Singer-Singer-Songwriter. It’s not just an album that both herself and her fans can be proud of, but its also a fantastic record that, I hope, will finally get Nesbitt acknowledged as one of Britain’s most exciting pop stars.