We might as well get into it from the start. This is a startlingly good debut from an artist with a seemingly acute grasp of the kind of lo-fi Americana that festivals like End of the Road fill their bills with.
The fact that he’s actually a 22-year-old from the Wirral and not sitting on a porch in Arkansas maybe makes it more remarkable.
Or maybe not.
The Wirral is an incredibly fertile breeding ground for bands and songwriters, and perhaps being on a peninsula with the Mersey separating it from the city of Liverpool helps foster a sense of outsiderdom that Nickson identifies with.
As his debut single proper, ‘What to Say’ is likely to get a lot of people sitting up to take notice.
There are more than welcome reminders of Sufjan Stevens and the fragile vocals lend an endearing quality to the recording.
Nickson began making lo-fi bedroom recordings and has only recently broadened out to working with a band in a live setting. If future results are as good as this, then there’s a lot to look forward to.
‘What To Say’ is released on The Label Recordings – also home to Oranj Son, Ali Horn and Youth Hostel.
‘What To Say’ is out now – available to purchase on iTunes here.
