London-based artist Nigel Brown returns to his songwriting roots with the compelling album While Away. Blending nostalgic jangle-pop with gentle folk atmospherics, Brown crafts a cohesive journey influenced by icons like The Stone Roses and Mark Knopfler. The record transitions from electric, anthem-like energy to intimate acoustic reflections, showcasing years of refined compositional expertise. While Away moves away from Brown’s recent instrumental production music efforts into an amiable singer-songwriter charm.

“Hear The Setting Sun” opens the album with approachable warmth, melding twangy guitars and clap-laden percussion into a caressingly melodic vocal presence. “It’s just my heart that wants to stay,” the vocals entice amidst a soothing combination of acoustics and bursting electric guitars. “Sweetheart, you can hear the setting sun,” they continue to radiate, attaining a lovely, layered power-pop sophistication with shades of Teenage Fanclub. Ensuing track “While Away” is another gem, also representing the first track Brown wrote following his return to songwriting. Resembling a lost Stone Roses cut, lovably, its shimmering guitar jangles and hypnotic vocals move with ethereal yet hooky harmoniousness.

The highlights are abundant throughout the album. In the more understated spectrum, “Inside Her Heart” embraces an initial introspective folk appeal, pushing into piano-laden pulses and encouraging lyricism. The mellow “Think Things Over” excels in a similar vein, with enjoyable shades of James Taylor. “Stars Above” delights as well, returning to a twangy rock realm that here plays reminiscently of Matthew Sweet in its tender guitar work and all-out melodic glow. While Away is a fantastic earworm of an album from Nigel Brown.

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“While Away” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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