SINGLE REVIEW: NIA NICHOLLS - SAD IN LONDON

This will be #TEAMw21's eighth year of writing about the exploits of Nia Nicholls and it's fair to say that in that time there's never been a single quite like "Sad In London". There is method in the madness but we'll explain more about that next month as we don't want to spoil Nia's surprise for you all.

"Sad In London" has 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

"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 palm, 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 let's 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. It also sees Nia attribute those ill feelings to the city, as it so associated with the ex in question, only feeling herself, once 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 is undoubtedly a little off menu as a single, but there are enough of Nia Nicholl's familiar traits and touches in there, that it is not too huge a leap to make. It will all make sense in the end when the whole picture can be seen.