Nick and Liesl

 

Feather opens with ‘Most Of My Life;’ a perfect introduction to the music of Nick and Liesl. It’s a breezy number, seemingly over way too soon despite its run-time (4:11), that prominently features Nick’s voice and also showcases the brilliance of Nick and Liesl’s vocal harmonies. You’ll continually be impressed by the natural way their voices come together to create beautiful harmonies. As they come together to sing, “these days remind me of what makes me smile, jumping into the ocean releases my emotion,” you’ll find yourself instantly hooked. It’s just one of many catchy lines (both lyrically and melodically) that will linger in your head long after the song has finished. The roles are reversed on ‘Your Heart In My Hands’ as Liesl takes the lead and Nick comfortably slides into the back-up role.

“You’re mine (do you love me today, will you me tomorrow), you’re mine (do you love me today, there must be some kind of way).” As their voices circle each other in those lines, it’s easy to understand why Nick and Liesl’s title track ‘Feather’ is widely recognised as one of the album’s highlights. A simple piano melody precedes Liesl’s introduction, her soulful voice commanding all attention in what becomes a surprisingly heartbreaking track. “I won’t be afraid, I know it’s real enough, I never ask for too much, I know that there’s no such thing as true love.” Any down mood is instantly perked up (in a sign of well planned track placement) by ‘Silent Ships.’ “Like silent ships go sailing out to sea, I’m at peace knowing you’re in love with me.” What a lovely song about love that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

There are three other tracks that I want to give special mention to. ‘Leave This Town’ is so very likely to charm those of you chasing a good laid-back tune to kick back and relax to. Think those summer nights out on the deck, having a couple of drinks with friends. That’s when you want to hear ‘Leave This Town.’ Think those lazy Sundays in the park (most likely also having a couple of drinks with friends). That’s when you want to hear ‘Leave This Town.’ Along with ‘Silent Ships,’ I’d call ‘Leave This Town’ my favourite Nick Everitt penned track. ‘Witch’s Brew’ would be one of my two favourite Liesl Karlsson written numbers. Atmospherically ‘Witch’s Brew’ creates a much darker tone than the tracks surrounding it, making it stand out that much more. What’s the other Karlsson track I love the most? The album’s closing song, ‘Does It Matter.’ Album’s that end with a stellar, memorable ballad are the best. “To who does it matter if I should choose to yield, to yield to the doubts that plague my every single though, to yield to the conflicts of my mind, to yield to the expectations I have of myself, to yield, to give up… it matters to me.” An incredible end that will have you heading straight back to the start of Feather so you can enjoy it all over again.

I can’t recommend Feather highly enough. Nick and Liesl have definitely earned…

It’s been forever since we’ve thrown one out there and then BAM! Two fives in one week?! Best week for music ever!