Reviews

Matches and Dispatches Album Reviews

"accomplished"

This is an accomplished album that embraces folk, country, rock, pop and soul, all of it anchored by some solid studio players and light touch production by Swann and Tom Joyce.
Pick of the bunch are acoustic ballads 'Tuesday's Lament' and 'Amy's Waltz', the sensual 'You Got Me Boy' and the audacious take on The Beatles' 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.
David Burke
R2

"a must for all music fans"

This album is really classy and jam packed full of sublime songs. A must for all music fans.
Maverick Magazine

"rich and resonant"

Nicky Swann has achieved critical acclaim and support slots for many luminaries of the folk circuit and there's a lot to like about her debut album. Her voice is rich and resonant, her versatility - playing guitar, mandolin and melodica - impressive, and the excellent sidemen contribute to the slick feel of the album.
Sam Wise
Acoustic Magazine

"aural beauty"

Nicky Swann's reinvention of the Beatles classic, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' shows that she's not afraid to mix things up and give them a different perspective. 'Matches and Dispatches' shows that her 'Burning Bright EP' was no flash in the pan, she is capable of bringing that level of aural beauty to a full album. Mainly Americana in style, there is a restlessness about her songs that hint at a need to be seeking out new adventures, be they real or imagined. 'Amy's Waltz' draws on highwayman imagery in a modern context. Hopefully there's plenty of Nicky to come.
Neil King
FATEA Magazine

"bewitching"

the album is quite bewitching, with Nicky’s gorgeously tender vocal matched and dispatched by equally tender, gently sensuous backings that pair her own acoustic guitar with Alan Cook’s ever-sensitive pedal steel, Bethany Porter’s luscious cello lines and Rick Foot’s double bass.
Beautifully recorded by Tom Joyce, and there’s more than enough must-hear music on Matches And Dispatches to cause me to keep an eager weather-eye out for Nicky’s next recording.
David Kidman
Folk and Roots

"an artist to watch in 2010 and beyond"

The county of Devon is becoming such a rich place for music these days, I have a feeling there's something in the water. Singer-songwriter Nicky Swann is by no means 'run of the mill' and apparently has no quarms in presenting us with the burden of pigeon hole-ing. Equally comfortable with country-tinged rock n roll Crash and Burn, cool summer jazz Hold On and folksy ballads Little Bird and Amy's Waltz, Nicky Swann runs the veritable gamut of styles and moods but retains a consistent thread throughout that is uniquely her own. 

Almost unrecognisable from the original Mop Tops number one hit, I Want To Hold Your Hand is given the same sort of treatment Alison Krauss gave The Foundations' Baby, Now That I've Found You, with a gorgeous guitar and cello arrangement, the latter courtesy of Bethany Porter, reminding us once again that great love songs work so much better in a stripped down context, up close and personal. Likewise, In Too Deep offers a passionate and emotional performance that makes it all the more believable.  

Tuesday's Lament shows another side of Nicky's writing and once again sets out to prove that mundane everyday stuff can be just as appealing as the profound, until you realise that is, that it's no ordinary day at all, with the heartbreaking revelation in the final verse. The song lyrics of this and four other songs are included in the handsome booklet accompanying the album.

Rounding things off with a gentle lullaby, adapted from the traditional Welsh poem Ar Hyd Y Nos, All Through the Night confirms that Nicky Swann is certainly an artist to watch in 2010 and beyond.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky

"deft songstress"

Songwriter Nicky's latest CD contains sufficient proof for her to stand proud in the company of her named inspirations, Patsy Cline and Carol King.
Deft playing and exceptional production let her writing and performing skills shine. Of particular note are the catchy 'Hold On' and the cultured 'Amy's Waltz', with it's storytelling heart. Furthermore, her flair for arranging is underlined by a clever take on the Fab Four's 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', plus the wiinning version of 'All Through The Night that closes this thirteen song collection.
Keith Ames
The Musician

 

Burning Bright E.P. Reviews

"Acoustic Raw Talent"

"Empathetic, soul-felt songs that make it all warm inside these four cold walls again. A voice with heart and passion, but at times gritty and full of vibes from the old country. Acoustic raw talent, no frills, no fancies, just pure, enigmatic soul."
Maverick Magazine

"Swann ... no clone"

"Even in these four tracks the diversity of Swann's songwriting and stylistic influences is evident, Swann cites amongst her influences Carole King, Patsy Cline and Lucinda Williams, whilst these and indeed others are clear enough but despite starting her career in a covers duo Swann is certainly no clone. Almost immediately with the opening track 'Good Advice' you are drawn into the words weaving gently but firmly with the accompanying fiddle and guitar. Throughout the EP there is a subtlety combined with genuine passion in these four songs which leaves you looking forward to the full product."
Folk and Roots

"...it really hits the heart"

"The first word that leapt into my mind on hearing, "Burning Bright" was evocative, followed soon after by atmospheric. Nicky Swann has got a powerful voice that's exactly what you need to delivering country tinged folk music, particularly when there's an almost spiritual dimension to the song. "Burning Bright" is only four tracks long, it's not enough, but there is going to be an album soon to satisfy the craving that's still there when the EP comes to an end. The final track "Time Stands Still" recorded live at a sound check sounds like Nicky was fighting back the tears, it really hits the heart."
Neil King FATEA Magazine