Posted on: June 6, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Nick Motil – Everything’s Alright / 2008 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.nickmotil.com /

Nick Motil is rapidly becoming a household name. After selling over 5,000 copies of his previous releases and playing shows with acts as varied as Jason Mraz and Duncan Shiek, it just seems to only be a matter of time before Motil is topping whatever chart a major label is positioning him. “Everything’s Alright” is Motil’s latest recording, and one of the strongest tracks on the EP has to be “Try Harder”. The emotive arrangements that start off the track play on the work of Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows, while Motil’s vocals give the track a little bit of a James Taylor sound. Listeners can either hear what Motil is saying during this track, or they can link Motil’s harmonious vocals to the rest of the instrumentation of the track.

Regardless, what results is a track that is timeless, honest, and is memorable. The title track to “Everything’s Alright” has a more deliberate, intense set of arrangements, while continuing the same general approach taken by Motil on “Try Harder”. Motil’s vocals still are unique, but it seems as if “Everything’s Alright” occupies a space alongside tracks done by a Shawn Mullins. To call Motil a singer-songwriter would be to unnecessary limit him to a set of conceptions about that musical style. Rather, what Motil does during “Everything’s Alright” is create a set of tracks that will be part of the musical lexicon regardless of what else Motil may do in the future.

This is why “Home”, for example, can touch upon country, alternative rock, and mainstream rock all in one fell swoop. The inclusion of a second set of vocals during “Home” further strength Motil’s already impressive voice, each set of vocals intertwining themselves with the other, pushing them to a higher plateau. Fans all across the United States should make it a point to go to a tour date near them; Motil will be playing in Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, New York, and countless other places throughout the summer. Make it a point to bone up on Motil’s past and present music before going to one of these shows, however; I’m sure the number of fans present in the audience that sing along to each song would be in the hundreds.

Top Tracks: Everything’s Alright, Try Harder

Rating : 8.1/10

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