Nina Nesbitt doesn’t have to prove herself to anyone. With a billion career streams to date, a slew of high-profile collaborations, and a co-sign from Taylor Swift, she’s already ticked off more life goals than most. ‘Mountain Music’ represents something more personal – penned at her home studio, it’s the inaugural release on her own label, Apple Tree Records.
In a way, it’s a resetting of the dials; wiping away preconceptions, she’s able to let her roots show through, and grow once more. Americana-leaning folk-pop, ‘Mountain Music’ is at its best when tender and true, with the unfussy arrangements reflecting both the energy and dexterity of her live band.
There are numerous highs here – the potency of opener ‘Pages’ for example, or the urge to escapism that is ‘On The Run’. Often, Nina palpably leans on her own experiences, such as the diaristic ‘Painkiller’.
Indeed, if there’s one area of palpable growth here it’s Nina’s lyrics. Daring to get herself down on record, ‘Mountain Music’ has a bittersweet reflective feel, a space where the Scottish-born songwriter can dare to be honest.
If the pace drops at times, then the subtleties at least stand up to repeated plays. Recorded over quickfire sessions at Middle Farm Studios in Devon alongside Peter Miles, the naturalistic musicality stays true to the experiences behind the songs. A dulcet ‘Hard Times’ lifts the final arc, while closer ‘Parachute’ ranks alongside her best work.
A step forwards, ‘Mountain Music’ finds Nina Nesbitt claiming her independence. Having only just turned 30, she’s spent the bulk of her adult life in the private eye. In yearning towards privacy, she may just have shared her most potent, and revealing song cycle to date.
7/10
Dig This? Dig Deeper: Bon Iver, Clairo, Taylor Swift
Words: Robin Murray
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