Nick Mulvey - Wake Up Now (2017) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

Nick Mulvey is an English musician, singer and songwriter who studied music in Havana, Cuba. He played the Hang as a founder member of 2008 Mercury Prize nominated band Portico Quartet, until 2011 when he left to pursue his career as an Indie singer-songwriter. Nick Mulvey's sophomore release positions the songwriter at potentially his most comfortable; the lyrical use of metaphor highlights Mulvey’s developed writing ability (“Myela”), while the sprawling nature of the soundscapes encapsulates the strength of the musicians Mulvey surrounded himself with. Mulvey’s lyrical scope takes a look at the world currently turning off its axis; in a time of uncertainty, music can serve as an emotional anchor, an anchor Mulvey aims to deliver. His writing is evocative without preaching. Balancing rhythmic eccentricities with irrepressible groove and electronic production throughout, "Wake Up Now" serves its title well.

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Nick Mulvey - Wake Up Now (2017) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

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Wake Up Now is the second solo album by former Portico Quartet percussionist Nick Mulvey, a singer, songwriter, and (primarily) guitarist with a degree in ethnomusicology. The follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut, First Mind, it likewise showcases an array of world music influences, particularly in terms of rhythm, but listeners will also notice a less intimate, more exuberant presentation. The latter has a lot to do with the fact that it was recorded live in the studio as a band with producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne). Following those sessions, tracks were passed to First Mind producer Dan Carey for finishing electronic touches, resulting in a record that seems both impulsive and impeccable at once. Not only an album steeped in international styles, but in global events, Wake Up Now addresses topics including the refugee crisis and the impact of fracking. Lead single "Myela," for instance, was inspired by first-hand accounts of journeys taken by refugees. Co-written by Mulvey and backing bandmember Federico Bruno, it draws on African rhythms, pop, and group singing through verses about a young Sudanese woman in Sicily and about making it from Syria to Lebanon. (The song's video was made by Majid Adin, an Iranian animator who found refuge in the U.K.) It's not the only song with multiple guest vocalists, and Mulvey's warm, conversational tone is sometimes double-tracked in addition to being reinforced or harmonized by others. All of the above can be heard on "Remembering" alongside vibrant melodic percussion and textured plucked and strummed string instruments. Even with some serious subject matter and a spare, wistful closing track, the album's bustling arrangements keep things spirited and sometimes outright celebratory. While he found success with the low-key, folkier vibe of First Mind, Mulvey did well to heed the advice of none other than Brian Eno, who in pre-recording meetings encouraged him to share some of the load with others. The outcome sounds like a skilled musician hitting his stride.

Tracklist:

01 - Unconditional
02 - Transform Your Game (We Remain)
03 - Imogen
04 - Myela
05 - We Are Never Apart
06 - Remembering
07 - Mountain To Move
08 - When The Body Is Gone
09 - Lullaby
10 - In Your Hands
11 - Infinite Trees


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