"There are two things in my life that I am decent at. One is music, the other is a very fast card game called Slaps. I am not joking or trying to be self-deprecating. That's actually it.” - Nicole Byblow
I have a lot of respect for artists who call their talent “decent.” They usually are the most skilled at making art that stops people in their tracks and forces them to pay attention.
Nicole Byblow is one of those artists.
With her latest opus, titled “Nicole Byblow Plays All the White Keys,” the Canadian singer-songwriter invites the listener to share an intimate musical moment with her. There is no gimmick. There are only a piano and a (beautiful) voice, two instruments that meet and speak to each other in passionate tones. The addition of drums, as well as occasional backup vocals (Mike Buckley, for example), guitar, violin and toy piano complement the whole in a subtle, yet haunting fashion. The result is a crystal-clear sounding album that will be best enjoyed in the middle of a sleepless night.
Byblow also has a knack for penning witty and insightful lyrics. Whether she drops expletives while sharing her experience as a former cleaning lady (“Things That I Learned When I Worked at the Hospital”) or she sings about relationships (“About a Lover”), her emotions are real and raw, and delivered with a superb clarity.
"Nicole Byblow Plays All the White Keys” is one of the best albums I have heard in the last five or six years. I highly recommend it.
More about “Nicole Byblow Plays All the White Keys”
Release date: 2011
Produced by Nicole Byblow and Ben Nixon
Engineered and mixed by Ben Nixon
Mastered by John Tucker
Track listing:
- intro
- They Didn’t Think So
- Things That I Learned When I Worked at the Hospital
- No Longer Matter
- If I’m Lucky
- February
- About a Lover feat. Mike Buckley (live)
- Things That I Learned When I Worked at the Hospital (clean)
Album available for purchase at www.nicolebyblow.com, and on CDBaby, iTunes and Amazon.
About Nicole Byblow
Originally from Manitoba, Nicole Byblow currently lives in Toronto. She is a recipient of the Fred Sherratt Award (presented annually by CARAS and the Juno Awards) and has shared the stage with C.R. Avery and Juno Award winner Stephen Fearing. She also performed a rendition k.d. Lang's "Constant Craving" during the 2011 Juno Awards Dinner and Gala.
For more information on Nicole Byblow, visit www.nicolebyblow.com.
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Cendrine Marrouat may be contacted for potential interviews, reviews and general enquiries at info@cendrinemarrouat.com. Website: www.cendrinemarrouat.com.
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