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Nia Nicholls - He's Not You

Writer's picture: CHRIS FARLIECHRIS FARLIE

Another single from up and coming talent Nia Nicholls and for those who were at Buckle & Boots 2018, you may recall "He's Not You", as it was one of the stand out songs from her set at the Paddock Stage.

It details a simple dilemma, when the person that adores you and in all ways would be perfect is not actually the person you want to be with! Nia could not give her ill suited beau a better write up "He sweet and he's kind and he's got gorgeous eyes looking like oceans so blue" and there is an admission to some sort of guilty feeling, "I wish I could feel some thing for this boy who keeps trying".

There are at least couple of things that make this single so endearing, the first being its utter simplicity, the core of the song being built around a prominently repeated seven note riff although it does open out a bit as the song develops. The next are the quirky little gaps that occur after the riff, giving a tiny quarter second of complete silence which is slightly unusual. The third and most telling thing that says we are dealing with someone who knows their way around a song is the way that each time round the chorus is slightly changed, while maintaining its key element. it is a classic pop song writing technique.

There is also something quite charming about the way Nia performs this song, with her intonation having just the right amount of regret about her lack of feelings for the person who cares for her so and then the slightly delayed and different pronunciation of the word "you" in the title all go to make this just a little bit different.

"He's Not You" is available from July 22nd.

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