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[one_half last=”yes”]NERVOUS NELLIE
Where The Nightmare Gets In
Release-Date: 01.12.2014
Label: WIFE
Tracklist:
01. Beacons
02. Eaten By Bears
03. Gloves
04. Skeletons
05. You’re So Sad
06. Cat Like Figure
07. Shoulder
08. The Violence
09. Dead Dirt
10. No Sound
NBHAP Rating: 3,5/5
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Dreaming Up their New Work
NERVOUS NELLIE’s latest album, Where The Nightmare Gets In, continues to utilise their cross-cultural roots to develop their newest addition to the indie rock genre. These two lots of brothers, one pair originating from the USA and the other from Sweden, are branching out into a quasi-concept album. They divide their work into three ‘Chapters’: Alpha; Delta and Theta. These chapters, in turn, are meant to consider different aspects of dream worlds, different states of the brain in sleep. NERVOUS NELLIE cite dreams, nightmares and hypnosis as all present in their work. This thematically driven album is a focussed work that, perhaps, at times, is a little too cautious when it comes to diversity.
A Bit Too Nervous?
Taking influences from both Scandinavian electronic and new American rock, NERVOUS NELLIE are keen to demonstrate how their unique geographical positioning enables an individualised fusion of genres. And yet, for an album that has attempted to clearly divide the tracks into three chapters, there is a frustratingly repetitive vein at times. Their synth additions to an otherwise indie-rock record develop an individual sound for the band. However, the synth is also a consistent undercurrent that prevents many tracks from truly standing out. Acknowledging the power of their combined synth, rock guitar and masculine vocals, NERVOUS NELLIE present an excellently unique contribution to the indie genre. However, nervously, they often edge away from changing up their style.
Delta Does It
NERVOUS NELLIE prescribe a distinction between the songs that exist in the three-fold division of the tracks’ chapters. And, while it is often difficult to discern distinctive themes within the trio of works, the standout tracks lie within Delta. Cat Like Figure pushes the band’s brilliant vocals to the fore in an intro that develops into a stunning collaboration of melodic synths and their typically alternative guitar. NERVOUS NELLIE are becoming increasingly confident to steer away from their multiple influences into a sound of their own. Where The Nightmare Gets In signifies how their work is maturing beyond already impressive roots. NERVOUS NELLIE’s real value for the themes of their album alongside the music itself sets a precedent for fascinating releases to come.
Steering away from multiple influences into a sound of their own, NERVOUS NELLIE’s ‘Where The Nightmare Comes In’ finds a distinctive but at times repetitive voice.
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