I seriously love Niamh Regan. She is, in the purest sense of the term, aΒ songwriter, with a gorgeously warm, homely voice to boot. Itβs no surprise, then, thatΒ BellyΒ has really knocked it out the park. Her 2nd single from the upcoming albumΒ Come As You Are,Β the track comes to terms with βfeeling like a broken record and not being heard.β In contrast to some of her previous work, it features a full band, but this doesnβt take away from the true intimacy of the single, and its lyrical content. The change in timbre feels confident – not jarring – and still maintains the soft, breezy atmosphere of her acclaimed debut albumΒ Hemet, while (thankfully for my emotional self) quietly omitting the more cry-worthy elements featured on earlier tracks.Β
βI wonβt talk about it with friends […] / I wonβt bring it up againβ the Galway singer-songwriter vocalises over a simple but solid drum beat, which drives some interesting – and unmistakably Regan – rhythmic choices during the chorus. The Regan thatβs singing here is clearly a depleted one; one with a lack of self-confidence, one thatβs given up trying to get her point across, and so opts for a deflated, deferential attitude – βHere you go, here you goβ. Itβs a sentiment that everyone can relate to, but one that seems more connected to a womanβs experience in life; constantly being spoken over, and not having her words listened to. The lyrical content of the track only pushes forward the familiarity and nostalgia ofΒ Bellyβs sonics, and these are two areas of Reganβs music that seem inseparable. Sheβs the sort of musician who immediately assures you that they know what theyβre doing, and her work only acts as surefire proof of this. AndΒ BellyΒ is no different.
Β Come As You AreΒ is set to be released on the 1st of May.
