Album Review: Nicky Swann - Matches and Dispatches (Self Release)

The county of Devon is becoming such a rich place for music these days, I have a feeling there's something in the water. Singer-songwriter Nicky Swann is by no means 'run of the mill' and apparently has no quarms in presenting us with the burden of pigeon hole-ing. Equally comfortable with country-tinged rock n roll Crash and Burn, cool summer jazz Hold On and folksy ballads Little Bird and Amy's Waltz, Nicky Swann runs the veritable gamut of styles and moods but retains a consistent thread throughout that is uniquely her own. 

Being forced into taking on the role of her own guitarist after going through the fruitless auditioning process in the wake of splitting from her long term duo partner, Nicky's self determination resulted in re-inventing herself as a singer-songwriter in her own right, with a bunch of new songs, some of which found their way onto the BURNING BRIGHT EP. Three of those songs, Good Advice (re-titled here as Amy's Waltz), Wheels Keep Turning and One Step Up have joined a further ten tracks to make up the Tom Joyce produced full length MATCHES AND DISPATCHES album due for release in May. 

After recording and performing with fellow Devon artists, Phil Beer and Jackie Oates respectively and winning the Artsbase singer-songwriter award, Nicky has gone on to share the stage with the likes of Clive Gregson, Roy Bailey and Megson as well as visiting American artists Corrine West and Brooks Williams, in opening and support spots, providing her with a suitable apprenticeship as a live performer.

The album was recorded in nearby Cornwall at the Sawmills Studios, where the singer-songwriter surrounded herself with an array of first rate musicians, which includes Rick Foot on double bass, James Sharp on drums, Bethany Porter on cello, Olivia Dunn on violin, Alan Cook on pedal steel and Dobro and Brian Garrett on guitar.

Almost unrecognisable from the original Mop Tops number one hit, I Want To Hold Your Hand is given the same sort of treatment Alison Krauss gave The Foundations' Baby, Now That I've Found You, with a gorgeous guitar and cello arrangement, the latter courtesy of Bethany Porter, reminding us once again that great love songs work so much better in a stripped down context, up close and personal. Likewise, In Too Deep offers a passionate and emotional performance that makes it all the more believable.  

Tuesday's Lament shows another side of Nicky's writing and once again sets out to prove that mundane everyday stuff can be just as appealing as the profound, until you realise that is, that it's no ordinary day at all, with the heartbreaking revelation in the final verse. The song lyrics of this and four other songs are included in the handsome booklet accompanying the album.

Rounding things off with a gentle lullaby, adapted from the traditional Welsh poem Ar Hyd Y Nos, All Through the Night confirms that Nicky Swann is certainly an artist to watch in 2010 and beyond.

Allan Wilkinson

Northern Sky