Nicole Saphos Band – Keepin’ Eyes (2023)
Described by Jazz Sensibilities as an artist “abandoning classical expressions of pitch, Saphos allows her sense of gilded vocal glissandi to take music into unexpected places…”, singer-songwriter Nicole Saphos has a unique, eclectic sound to touch your heart and send your soul soaring. Along with Jazz Sensibilities, Saphos has received several accolades such as winning the 2020 Regional Independent Artist Award from Maryland State Arts Council, performing at numerous venues (such as The Kennedy Center, Rockwood Music Hall and Smithsonian American Art Museum), and being the first songwriter invited to attend the residency program at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine.
Noted for her bold, personal and intimate sound, Nicole Saphos has been compared to the likes of Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple. In an interview with Capital Bop, Saphos shared that she identifies with Aimee Mann – “I think Aimee Mann is one of the most amazing, cookie-pop melody writers and is kind of underrated for that…” In her new single ‘Keepin’ Eyes’, Saphos brings out certain elements of Mann-esque pop in her eclectic indie-pop/ indie-rock sound.
Following her well-received album Takoma Sessions, ‘Keepin’ Eyes’ has the intimacy of Joni Mitchell oozing through a Fiona Apple melody, but with the unique obscurity of Saphos creating a sound that is entirely her own. Soft, gentle and soothing, the new song has a toe-tapping effect putting a smile on your face with each chord. Interestingly enough, while a smooth flow exists in the arrangement as guitars elegantly blend with drums, the song has vulnerability with a rough, raw innocence.
A long time in the making, ‘Keepin’ Eyes’ was penned in 2020 and was revived in the past year. Interestingly enough, while the track was originally written from an “impersonal point of view of a character with a touch of her own personal experience”, it stings of the intimate intensity one gets when pouring yourself into the song. Written from “the point of view of a partner who seeks control by obsessively watching and controlling the relationship”, you could imagine arrogance in the song. However, there is a sentimental sincerity and odd delicacy to this vulnerable picture of someone who is obsessed with control.
For more from the Nicole Saphos Band, check out her official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
