' when you first hear that nigel lives by the blue ridge mountains in georgia (usa) and that he plays folk music, it seems like he fits right into this cliché of folk and perhaps even alt-country singer-songwriters. but nevertheless, nigel wright’s debut album millfoil shows that there’s much more to his music. millfoil has a clear line running through it from advance to the title track at the end. it’s an eclectic mix of well-crafted songs with vocals that seem extremely strong but yet so fragile at the same time. imagine william fitzsimmons’ songs with tom fleming on lead vocals. it’s not quite the same but it comes close. the fact that his voice sounds so unbelievably mature for his young age, easily got me hooked right from the beginning.

the influence of 70s folk musicians like james taylor, cat stevens or even carole king in his music is unmistakable, but nigel wright moves beyond this tradition of early 70s folk and creates a sound that leaves you not only impressed but most of all moved. i wouldn't say he invented a new genre, but his music is clearly about more than just a pretty voice, some simple lyrics and a guitar beat that you can tap your foot along to. it’s not hard to convince us that he’s "kind of nice to have around" (upside) and when he sings "you make me feel so safe" (solid muse), that’s all there is to it. his music indeed makes you feel safe, makes you forget everything around you in pretty much the same way as josh tillman helped us to do so over the last couple of years, especially with year in the kingdom.

with millfoil, nigel wright definitely proves that it’s easy to be true to a certain genre and still add a modern touch to it by combining it with the sound of an electric guitar for example. all the songs on the album seem to follow the same pattern, yet they all can stand on their own. each song tells a different story and therefore makes the album so diverse, but they also easily work together as a unit. nigel’s new single anna/clear eyed plans is only one of many different sides millfoil has to offer (even though the single is not actually on the album).

"folk singers may be of an ilk that rarely goes multi-platinum, but their work truly resonates with people of all walks of life, and their legacy is astounding" (kim ruehl)

i certainly do hope that nigel will get the attention he deserves but either way, his music already has an immense impact on the way people (or at least i) look at singer-songwriters in folk music - or even in general. '

Posted by Caroline R V on Feb 22, 2012 on ••• . . . constantly on the way to a better place!