Nick J Music – Be Honest (2020)
Nick J Music is the project of young Australian musician Nick Jovicic. He is a talented pianist and composer who is ready to release his music to the world. His EP Be Honest is the result of his positive action toward personal fulfilment.
The EP expresses Jovicic’s sense of self in a melting pot of modern influences. You can clearly hear the manoeuvring of a young person against the swirl of suggestion. While this is a personal EP full of self-discovery, all the tracks are easy to relate to.
The album opens with ‘Let Go’ that starts with spoken word distorting to Jovicic’s vocals. The melody of this track has a lot of interesting notes that grab your attention and leave you wondering where the song is going. The vocals are fun to listen to and work very well with the changing melody.
‘To Think I Had Time’ has a more psychedelic vibe to it with deep beats and distorted notes. The warping tones play well against the lyrics of the song which are full of a sobering realisation. The vocals are emotive and push the message of the song.
‘I Will (Interlude)’ is a strange track that splits the EP into two perfect halves. The instrumental track can sound a little disjointed at times but has a certain charm to it. The melody and music are reminiscent of an old funfair that has seen better days.
The title track ‘Be Honest’ ramps up the emotional intensity of the EP. There is a more rock vibe to this track that captivates you from the opening note to the end. The vocals portray the discomfort that is clear in the lyrics, but this transforms into a self-confidence. This transformation is also heard in a slight change to the melody.
The last song is ‘I Need You’ which starts with a driving deep bass that rocks through you. This song explores loneliness and captures this perfectly with the bass and the echoing vocals. There is a raw element to this track that makes it easy to connect with.
Nick J Music melds various styles in Be Honest to create a journey in two acts. He uses upbeat melodies, psychedelic notes and echoing vocals to pave the path of resolve in this EP. Each track looks at a different step in the journey and all are easy to connect with.
Find out more about Nick J Music on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.