Nilsa No One gives us her unique, outsider perspective with her debut EP, Cracks in the Pavement.
By Graeme Smith
Nilsa describes Cracks in the Pavement as a work of “considerable personal importance” to her; it serves as a way for her to contemplate the strangeness of our shared existence. It touches on topics as broad as climate change, unrequited love, grief and feeling like an alien in one’s own life.
She’s been working on it since she first picked up a guitar and you can tell its a labour of love. The EP’s title track gets things going with a contemplative guitar melody onto which is poured flashes of percussion and expressive vocals. It feels at once classic rock and modern folk, giving us an organic, personal feel.
Lucid Dreams livens things up with a soulful, jazzy moment while There are worlds between us now provides us with some lingering poetry. Eye of the Other is slow and self-reflective, gradually unfolding over eight and a half minutes before How Can the Flowers closes the album with a short, ambient outro.
There’s always room in the world of music for another outsider. Those not afraid to express themselves will always be welcome, especially on these pages. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for Nilsa’s future releases.
Crack in the Pavement is out now and you can give it a listen below.