Nic Dawson Kelly brings you

Nic Dawson Kelly Old Valentine ….. buy it

The Musician mp3
Nic Dawson Kelly put this record out last October and nobody really heard it over here. I’m not sure anyone much heard it over THERE either. But DC played it on The Waiting Room, and made me listen to it, and goddamn if I can’t stop playing it in my car and on my laptop and on my ipod. And it’s not the sound of something that will perhaps grab you by the balls and whisper in your ear, “you want me now, big guy, don’t you?” But it will, after making you cock your head to one side, when you first hear what this guy does with his voice, … oh it will slowly ease it’s way down the back of your pants and make you ache for more of it. (gosh, this has gotten filthy, hasn’t it? I seriously don’t mean these things to do this… it just happens!)

The whole album is brilliant, ….genius, ….brave. Nic Dawson Kelly has taken what could be a rather abrasive attitude toward life coupled with a heavy dose of heartache and made it into a really soulful collection of bluesy, sometimes quite sweet, folk songs. He did this, in part, by singing the way he does. And that is just something you have to hear for yourself. But the other two parts of this are, of course, fantastic lyrics and very well crafted instrumentation. Old Valentine has very old fashioned piano and guitar centered songs, filled out with harmonica, a violin here and there, tambourine, and the soft beat of a hand on a jean-clad leg.  Nic wraps his crazy vibrato vocals around these songs, most times gently and occasionally with a wild force. The first time I saw the video for “The Musician” I was very surprised to see how young this guy really is. There’s just so much character in the delivery of these songs, so much experience in these lyrics. I found it hard to believe that this tall, lanky, young man had pulled this all off!

The opening track, “Thursday” has a wicked harmonica line leading you into the most fast-paced track on the album. The title track has a certain charm, lyrically. “Adam and Eve” is absolutely a wonderful love song that he so soulfully belts out with so much conviction that you do believe he will “wait until the sea dries over.” But it’s track eight, “Delicate,” that puts you in that spot where you really just have to commit to this album. It’s a hard song to hear. The lyrics are poetic, a beautifully worded, bittersweet, goodbye to a lover. Nic’s trembling falsetto stretches impossibly high with the barest of accompaniment. It’s spell is broken by hard strumming of a guitar on the next track and oh, are you grateful. Rounding out the album with two more songs, Nic Dawson Kelly brings a unique flavor to the more typical bluesy, roots/folk music that I love. I know you have not heard this album. You’ve not even heard of this album. But I hope you become intrigued with it, as I have. I can’t wait to see where this guy is going next. This debut LP is simply brilliant… Edinburgh friends, he’s coming your way in March… go see him for me, eh? xoxo

Tracklisting

1. Thursday 3.23
2. Musician, The
3. Under Her Matress (I Wrote This)
4. Marilyn
5. All The Pretty Bullfighters
6. Old Valentine
7. Adam And Eve
8. Delicate
9. Ex Lovers And Old Friends
10. Oh Well

Tour Dates
Mar 27 2010 6:30P The Cavern Exeter
Mar 28 2010 6:30P Academy Bristol
Mar 29 2010 6:30P Barfly Cardiff
Mar 30 2010 6:30P The Peel Kingston
Mar 31 2010 6:30P Academy Birmingham
Apr 1 2010 6:30P Leadmill Sheffield
Apr 2 2010 6:30P King Tuts Glasgow
Apr 3 2010 6:30P Cockpit 3 Leeds
Apr 4 2010 6:30P Night And Day Manchester
Apr 6 2010 6:30P Bodega Nottingham
Apr 7 2010 6:30P Barfly London
Apr 8 2010 6:30P Joiners Southampton
Apr 24 2010 7:30P The Gladstone/w/The Icebreakers London
May 29 2010 7:30P The Gladstone/w/The Icebreakers London