The role of the piano in the new single “Andromeda” from Nick Phoenix is neither the centerpiece of the song nor one that can be described as understated in the grander scheme of things. While the guitar parts are responsible for maximizing the chills the audience is inevitably going to experience as the track ramps up towards its fever pitch, it’s ultimately the piano keys that Phoenix is resonating the most with, connecting a narrative that transcends the limits of lyricism and bleeds into the musical foundation of this single. “Andromeda” lives up to its title in this sense, and feels like a step towards aesthetical outer space for its composer.
Nick Phoenix has always had a good voice and scored recognition on the strength of his heady deliveries, but this is an instance where I think he wants to come across as a little more reserved than he typically would. In comparison to the material that we heard on his rookie LP, I would have to say that this single – along with the others he’s released in 2022 thus far – stands as an example of frontman minimalism in that his band is driving this vessel forth, not his dynamic singing.
This lead vocal takes over the show when it matters; as the chorus comes into focus, the lyrics take on a much more profound tone, and the voice preparing them for us shifts gears in accordance to where the moody poeticisms are taking it. This is one of the best skills that I’ve witnessed within the skillset of one Nick Phoenix, and if he’s going to take his modulating melodies into the mainstream market, I think a piece like this one should be a new standard for him going forward into future sessions in the recording studio.
Tempo is a significant factor in the cultivation of any pop song-structured story, and this is true of “Andromeda” for sure. I will say that while Phoenix could have got just a little more tension out of the backend had he pressed the groove more at the beginning of the song, I understand the progressive concept he wanted to implement here, especially when taking into account what he’s trying to say to his audience. This is a performance that requires a bit of finesse, and luckily for us, we’ve got an artist in this singer who knows his way around a verse or two.
SMART URL: https://lnk.dmsmusic.co/nickphoenix_wideworld-1
To create a pop song is to have talent, but to shape a piece of material with everything at your disposal takes a lot of gumption inside of a studio environment that many players – no matter the genre or the level of skill they possess – just don’t have, but Nick Phoenix isn’t among that unfortunate group. He’s flexing a lot of muscle in his new single, and if you’ve been looking for something indie that steers away from the overly artsy look so many of this singer’s peers are employing, “Andromeda” is a song you might want to check out.
Chadwick Easton