Lonely Mission. Jake Nicoll

There is a gap in my prolific record collection and that are the singer-songwriters in the wake of Bob Dylan. In the period Dylan was riding his Triumph on speed and cranking out one electric album after the other and then silence, the void into which the likes of say Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot could step. I may have an odd single, but no albums, bar Cohen.

Why am I writing this? Because on listening to Lonely Mission that thought entered my mind immediately. Jake Nicholl successfully conjures up this atmosphere of 1965 - 1975 singer-songwriters from the other side of the pond. Whether it truly matches or not. In my brain it does.

Although his voice at times reminds me of Jake Bugg, musically he does not, although I can imagine Bugg singing songs like this. In one song I'm with Art Garfunkel, another including Paul Simon, in the next I'm thinking of 'Sundown' or "Reason To Believe'. And it takes nothing away from Lonely Mission in any way. Jake Nicholl strives for little less than perfection and it seems like he has found the direction towards it.

I have never heard of Jake Nicholl and am a bit surprised to read Lonely Mission is his 11th album. The Canadian singer-songwriter and engineer owning a studio found himself in lockdown and started to build a studio in his home with a lot of vintage gear. From there he started work on a new album. Although the songs touch on a few musical genres, I'm not afraid to state this is 60s songs, mixed with folk and a little pop. The ballads on Lonely Mission all go straight for the heart, to settle there, for good. It is that kind of album. Although I have to admit not knowing for certain that the songs will truly lodge, the first signs look very good. My girlfriend heard the album last night. Had no clue what she was listening to, but did comment "how beautiful this is".

She is totally right. Jake Nicholl touches all the right buttons. Each song has an element that will make you listen. You'll hear a flute, a nice interlude or a change in Nicholl's voice that immediately makes you prick up your ears. The arrangements of the songs are simply extremely well and delicately done. It makes listening to Lonely Mission a true joy.

In the bio it says, Jake Nicholl approaches each album differently. So I have no clue what to expect there. Perhaps it's safest to stick to this album and enjoy it exclusively. As far as I'm concerned, at least for now, Lonely Mission is a bull's eye of an album.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order the album here:

https://tinyroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lonely-mission