"Holly" - Nick Waterhouse [Spotify Album Stream]

Nick Waterhouse is releasing his new album "Holly" on March 3rd through Innovative Leisure. You can stream the album now in its entirety on Spotify.

Waterhouse is known for his '60s style rhythm and blues, which is hardly a distinctive musical characteristic in an age where retro is a trend. Though the album might not sound new, there are plenty of things that Waterhouse does to keep the tired genre sounding fresh. For instance, his song structures are unique, like the album opener "High Tiding," which doesn't even have a chorus. After each verse, the band jams over organ chords. The second track, "This Is A Game," has a horn section repeating the same riff for three minutes. Somehow, Waterhouse manages to make things interesting by adding drum breaks and guitar, saxophone and organ solos.

That's not to say that all of Holly's songs are simplistic. "Let It Come" is a ballad that sounds like it can open an original James Bond film. Everything from the flanged guitars to the female backing vocalists on this track are spot on. The closing "Hand on the Clock" has a feeling that it's late at night and the bar is empty. It's slow swing similar to Bruce Springsteen's "Spirit in the Night."

The most interesting track is Waterhouse's cover of Ty Segall's "It #3." Even though Segall is known for his lo-fi punk music, Waterhouse takes the harsh song and turns it into something that sounds like it's part of the Motown catalogue.

Waterhouse has stated that the album has a story to tell. When discussing the album in an interview with Vogue, Waterhouse stated,

"It’s the story of a dead girl. Was it a bad dream? Even if she’s dead, it’s not a whodunit in terms of you need to know who killed her, it’s what killed her. That’s more what the record is about."

Preorder the album on iTunes.