EP REVIEW: NIA NICHOLLS - THE MARIONETTE
One of the saddest things about Country Calling 2026 was not getting to spend more time with Nia Nicholls. We did have a fleeting meeting and #TEAMw21 did come away with a cd of Nia's latest EP - "The Marionette". It pulls together all of her recent singles and adds in a new one for good measure - there are definitely no strings attached when you purchase this EP, just 5 slices of Nia's songwriting, hidden behind the different musical styles, that have formed her influences over the years.
The EP is split into 5 acts, with Act 1 being "Sad In London", where the title of the song was neatly placed in the tube sign. It opens to a sub Kraftwerk ( we kid you not) synth backing with a Georgio Moroder style pulse and electronic drums. Fortunately Nia's vocals remain unaffected and are not via a vocoder.
The opening verse puts London very much at the centre of Nia's universe, the lyrics even incorporating the tube zone's which will be a baffling reference for anyone outside of the Metropolis.
"All my friends in Tennessee, all wanna visit me in London.
My English friends live in zone three, I see them every few weeks in London.
There is a deeply voiced male backing singer who echoes Nia's "London" in a most unusual manner
It is only in the final line leading up to the chorus, that things start to go awry.
"Something ‘bout the air, something ‘bout the way the tube rumbles.
Something ‘bout the noise of a boy telling a girl he doesn’t want her."
The chorus presents Nia's view now, of England's capital.
"Why am I always so sad in London?
It used to scream “Hope and glitter”.
Why am I always so sad in London?
Ever since you crushed me in your palms, go figure!
The tourists are invasive, the trains are always late and I just wanna go home and cry.
I’m always so sad in London, you’re the reason why.
Each "sad" is punctuated with a crashing cymbal from Nia herself! while for the final four words, the backing drops all but drops away and Nia almost a capella, lets the light shine on them to leave no-one in any doubt.
The effects of a break up are never easy, and Nia puts the saddest lines about lack of appetite and self worth against the most jaunty of tunes, - think Abba "Knowing Me Knowing You". It also sees Nia attribute those ill feelings towards the city, as it so associated with the ex in question, only once again feeling herself, when safely away from there.
"I drink wine but don’t eat all day, insecure ‘bout how I’m made in London.
Everywhere I go I see his face, in every billboard frame in London.
And I think it’s healthy to be a little bit starving,
‘Cause my sense of self is warped walking through Camden Market.
When I leave town, it’s like my heartbreaks been pardoned.
But never when I’m ever twenty miles from you."
So deep grained are these feelings towards the city that they remain, even when her affections have turned towards others.
"It’s not like I’m not over you, I’m three lovers past from you.
But it’s always different at the scene of the crime."
The final chorus does at least hint at a brighter future to come, the first half delivered to a much more muted sonic palette, before things burst back into life.
"Now I’m always so sad in London.
One day it won’t feel like this.
I won’t be so sad in London,
I’ll barely remember that time we kissed.
And the tourists will be welcome,
Train delays will be seldom
And I’ll go home and smile.
I won’t be so sad in London,
Cause I won’t recall why…"
It was undoubtedly a little off menu as a single, but there are enough of Nia Nicholl's familiar traits and touches in there, with her style of delivery, that it is not too huge a leap to make.
From the eye catching cover with snippets of lyrics, showing Nia slightly creepily as a life size doll with strings attached, through to the winding clockwork intro and toy style keyboards, it is immediately clear that Nia and her producer have let their imaginations go wild on this one. More about a friendship break up, than a personal relationship one, the hurt clearly still cuts equally deep.
The opening verse is lyrically clever, as Nia plays with phrases that could apply to toys and in the real world of relationships. There's a nice contrast made between true friends and those fake ones "made of plastic". The harsh discard into a box is also highly descriptive of a child like tantrum or someone fascinated by their new friends to the detriment of their old ones. Nia sings mostly with a clipped tone to match the tight rhythm, only letting loose her disdain on the final alliterative two words of the verse.
"I'm a Marionette - she pulls all my strings
And she cuts the ties, when she gets bored of me
I was carved from wood with love
Detail attentive
Then she threw me in a box
Because now she prefers plastic"
It's a difficult thing to repair as Nia makes abundantly clear
"She doesn't get it, she thinks she can retie the strings
At her merest convenience, I fall back into it
I twist myself into knots, she hopes I'll never learn
She's only nice, to receive,
I do it because I love her"
The next verse highlights the one sided nature of this relationship, and a light bulb moment towards the end of the verse, draws a slight chuckle from Nia on the word "She".
"I'm a Marionette, loyal to a fault
She gets tired of me quickly
Then she runs back to her plastic dolls
I never speak a word, as they sink into the ground
When someone shows me their interest
She always comes back around"
There's a nice little comeuppance in the end with a degree of self realisation
"She throws me to the ground, cos I finally learned
They all come to see the Marionette, not her"
There's even time for a whistling solo before like the wind up toy, the song slows down and eventually finishes. It's inventive on many levels, lyrically clever and potentially also opens the way to a new, if slightly disturbing range of merchandise!
The cover for "If You Were A Song" has Nia directly making eye contact with viewer which seems to enforce that she is directly speaking to someone with this song. It is primarily a piano ballad, yet still manages to incorporate percussion, pedal steel and some lovely backing vocals. It may start humbly but it has definite aspirations to become a phones in the air classic in the later sections, with its synth like strings.
There is some heartfelt writing on display in this song and some idiosyncratic phrasing at times in the first verse, played out over just a piano refrain.
"Isn't it funny how rainbows appear, after a treacherous storm?
And even throughout, the darkest of nights, we know the sun will still shine that morn
I guess what I'm saying, is that you remind me, of beauty and all that felt pain
I know you don't want to burden my ears, but honey, you don't need to hide away"
Top use of the word "treacherous" and quite possibly the first use of "Morn" in a song in the last 100 years! The final line hints that this relationship has some unusual aspects to it. The chorus sees Nia expressing her feelings in the most poetic of ways, none of which include the songs title.
"If you've got the baggage then I want to claim it
If you were a painting then I'd want to frame it
Don't second guess any snide remarks they make
If you were a planet then you'd be the moon
Because baby, my tide is pulled in by you
Don't doubt yourself for a second, you wondrous flame
Because you could be brand new in shiny fresh paint
But I don't think I would love you the same"
In many ways it is a most curious chorus, there is the neat play on words with "baggage", then there is the astronomically clunky, moon being a planet, when it's really a satellite, which we realise, does not scan as well. There are also allusions to "snide remarks" to suggest that subject of the song might not be universally appreciated in the manner that she does. Regardless of that, the swooping musicality of the plush string sound as the chorus progresses gives it the feel of classic song from a bygone era
There is an expression of devotion in a later verse that is truly touching
"I know life hasn't treated you well, but baby you know that I will
And God forbid time pulls us apart, you know I'll be here for you still
How I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, maybe then you'd come to see
That nobody sees you for what you've been through, but how you turned out to be"
It is only on the final visit to the chorus that Nia eventually uses the title of the song
"If you were a song, then you'd be my favourite
If you were a seashell then I'd want to save it
Trust me because you know - I'm never wrong"
Before leaving us with one final heartfelt expression as she adjusts the lyrics on the final verse
Don't doubt yourself for a moment, cos a moment's too long
You could be just like the others, all of my past lovers
But then I wouldn't be writing this song"
The final lyrics come as a mic drop finale, reveal to the song.
"Movies In Cannes" starts with Nia rattling off lyrics at breakneck speed to a keyboard backing
"I guess I drew a blind eye,
To all of it back then
You don't like blockbuster movies,
You like "Movies From Cannes"
That was the first of a million red flags
and now I know, I know I know I know"
If it seems a little harsh to judge someone on their film choices - but there is more to follow!
The lyrics are dripping with Nia's acerbic wit, that never fails to raise a smile.
"Now whenever I meet someone who vaguely resembles the shape of you
I cut and run so fast, I should win a medal!"
We're not sure anyone would have foreseen the chorus which sees the arrival of a full on rocking combo and Nia sounding remarkably at home fronting it with authority.
"Calm down baby you're getting so emotional
You'll drown in your own crocodile tears
What did I ever see in you so fantastical
And I thought, it was all real
How could a classic girl like me
Think you deserve all that I am
This is what I get for giving a movie boy a chance"
If for a second you thought Nia was finished, think again
"How's that moustache coming in?, seems like it never has
Even your body knows you're not really a man
Not saying I'm perfect but in comparison I am
You know, you know, you know, you know"
As withering put downs go, this is up at the top for sure
"Now go tell all your friends that I'm obsessed with you
All you friends are just as awful as you
Masquerade like you're Hugh Grant from the nineties
You're just Hugh Grant from Bridget Jones Diaries
Cos nobody likes you but they all like me"
Nia is almost revelling in the those final few words as they trip of her tongue
There's a nice bit of Seinfeld/Paul Simon bass that is just another fun part of this two and half minute gift that keeps on giving, right to the very end with the Nia uttering a disdainful "Ugh!"
"Goldilocks" is perhaps a little contentious as it does require a little more effort from the listener, as only half listening and taking things out of context could lead you down totally the wrong path of what this song is actually saying.
At first glance it might seem that Nia is prepared to do anything to gain the affections of someone who clearly always finds fault with her, yet that would be to totally misunderstand the point being made.
"In retrospect, I was down bad.
But you saw me as your one trip fantasy
Quick! They almost saw you hold my hand.
I know you're embarrassed to be seen with me, romantically.
I don't know what you want.
I know you think you're the star
So you recklessly handled me
You might have written the script, but I'm the one they'd pay to see."
"Goldilocks" has a more keyboard based sound than perhaps we are used to from Nia, but it comes with many familiar traits, the quick fire, almost too many words in a line, delivery, the fourth wall asides, and an ever increasing confidence and inventiveness with what she can achieve in the studio with backing vocals.
The chorus has the lines riddled with frustration culminating in the final line of rationalisation
"Maybe if I lost a little weight
You'd want me for more than one night
Maybe if I suffered from a breakdown
I'd be just like the girls you like
Maybe if I become a contortionist
Or a hypnotic therapist
Either change myself or you
Oh Goldilocks could I ever be just right for you?"
The key to the song comes with the fiery bridge, where things are made clearer, scores are settled and those fearing that Nia was selling herself and womankind too cheaply can rest assured - she isn't!.
"You'll probably grow old alone
No-one to call a home
I bet you won't even know until it's too late
I was too much for you fragile ego
Too little for your needs
So I will find someone
Who knows that I am great!
Oh Goldilocks it's YOU who need to change!"
The final line confirms that Nia has got the situation in hand and sees it for what it is
"Oh Goldilocks - I'll never be just right for you"
Cleverly constructed using the children's story to make an adult point, with lots of musical hooks to latch on to, "Goldilocks" confirms as if it were necessary, Nia's ability to create a great pop song.
There are lots of strings being pulled together with "The Marionette", this is not perhaps the Country / Americana EP you were expecting from Nia Nicholls, although elements of that Nia are striped all through the tracks like writing running through a stick of Brighton Rock.
What you do get are all of the influences that make Nia who she is today. So "Sad In London" reflects the 80's, the arrival of synth pop, "I'm A Marionette" is theatrical, just revisit the cover, while "If You Were A Song" reflects her Nashville leanings although it could also cover the era of great singer songwriters. The sound of the 90's reflects "Movies From Cannes" while the final track is an attempt to pull in the sounds of the seventies, always a tougher ask as there was such a musical spread over that decade.
It's a concept EP that looks back at where her influences originated, what we'll want to see next is where they'll now take her.
For a CD copy contact Nia direct - Payment will be via PayPal.me/nianicholls or go see her at one of her shows!!
Website: https://linktr.ee/nianicholls
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nianicholls/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nianicholls1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nianicholls
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCUHPXufFWMzfO4CtFPk08Mg?sub_confirmation=1
Other: https://open.spotify.com/track/2PBOfZN0j1nqj8OOlKbzko?si=A4yFIZRoRweJq-1d_OjjEQ
