Nick Mulvey [Album Details]

Nick Mulvey
Allmusic Biography : London-based songwriter Nick Mulvey already had a wealth of musical knowledge before coming to the fore with a solo project in 2012, with years of formal education in Havana, Cuba studying music and art, as well as being an active member in Mercury Award nominees Portico Quartet. His first musical interactions were with piano and drums before he acquired a guitar in Southern Spain at the age of 18. He moved to Cuba a year later, and returned to the U.K. to study ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, submerging himself in different styles of music but specializing in West and Central African in particular. It was during this time that Mulvey met his Portico Quartet bandmates in 2005, where he played the Hang. After a successful stint with the outfit -- which included a Mercury Prize nomination in 2008, 150 shows worldwide, and signing to Peter Gabriels Real World Records -- Mulvey decided it was time to leave in 2011 and return to his first inspiration, the guitar. With an abundance of genres at his fingertips, Mulvey set about creating a sound that was both striking and unique, intertwining influences of great musicians such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits with a variety of African styles, including guitarist Kawele. This resulted in the sweet melodies and rhythmic strumming patterns that can be heard on his Fever to the Form EP, which was produced by Dan Carey (Steve Mason, Bat for Lashes) and released in 2013. In the meantime, he supported the likes of Willy Mason, Lianne La Havas, and Laura Marling on tour. Mulveys full-length debut, First Mind, arrived in 2014 via Universals Fiction and Harvest Records. It became a Top Ten album in the U.K. as well as a Mercury Prize nominee. His second LP was recorded live in the studio with his band and producer Ethan Johns before being passed along to Carey for the finishing electronic touches. Titled Wake Up Now, it was released in mid-2017 and addressed topics including the refugee crisis. Dancing for the Answers, a four-track EP, followed in 2018. Mulvey kicked off 2019 with the single "Moment of Surrender."
	Album: 1 of 4 Title: Fever to the Form Released: 2014-01-10 Tracks: 4 Duration: 16:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover	1 Fever to the Form (04:12) 2 House of Saint Give Me (04:12) 3 Juramidam (05:16) 4 River Lea (03:13)
	Album: 2 of 4 Title: First Mind Released: 2014-05-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover	1 First Mind (03:05) 2 Fever to the Form (04:12) 3 April (04:08) 4 Juramidam (05:16) 5 Cucurucu (04:27) 6 Ailsa Craig (04:57) 7 Meet Me There (03:26) 8 Nitrous (03:12) 9 Venus (05:25) 10 I Don’t Want to Go Home (03:29) 11 The Trellis (05:33) 12 The World to Me (02:44)
First Mind : Allmusic album Review : The debut album from former Portico Quartet percussionist and Hang player Nick Mulvey is a worldly affair that gives the impression of a musician far more established and further on in his career than the Cambridge-born artist. This may be due to his involvement in the Mercury-nominated Portico Quartet, or the trickle of releases that have appeared since his nomination to the BBC Sound of 2014 long list, but it is most likely down to the Ethnomusicology degree he obtained at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the years he spent immersing himself in the musical cultures of Brazil, Cuba, and Morocco. This wealth of experience and breadth of learning is transitioned here into dense and playful guitar work and absorbing, innovative rhythms. What is obvious throughout First Mind is the accessible nature of Mulveys folk-influenced style. There are moments that feel José Gonzalez-esque, and others that arent a million miles from the chart-topping sound of Ben Howard, while his use of Olives "Youre Not Alone" chorus on "Nitrous" is an indicator of the pop sensibilities that run alongside his cultured guitar work. Some tracks here have been collected from previously released EPs and singles, and the likes of "April," "Venus," and "Fever to the Form" are all accounted for, but slot in seamlessly next to his newer material, while the version of "Juramidam" takes on a throbbing, bluesy sound. In his most expressive moments, Mulvey channels the intricate fretwork of Nick Drake, while the minimal arrangements that dominate the album swell to a brief moment of euphoria as "Meet Me There" slowly rises to a violin-led climax. The folk singer/songwriter side of Mulvey is the one that is shown for most of the record, while his extensive influences flit in and out of each song, leaving their mark in the percussion, melody, and arrangement, but never taking center stage in his impressive repertoire.
$Allmusic album Review : Wake Up Now is the second solo album by former Portico Quartet percussionist Nick Mulvey, a singer, songwriter, and (primarily) guitarist with a degree in ethnomusicology. The follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut, First Mind, it likewise showcases an array of world music influences, particularly in terms of rhythm, but listeners will also notice a less intimate, more exuberant presentation. The latter has a lot to do with the fact that it was recorded live in the studio as a band with producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne). Following those sessions, tracks were passed to First Mind producer Dan Carey for finishing electronic touches, resulting in a record that seems both impulsive and impeccable at once. Not only an album steeped in international styles, but in global events, Wake Up Now addresses topics including the refugee crisis and the impact of fracking. Lead single "Myela," for instance, was inspired by first-hand accounts of journeys taken by refugees. Co-written by Mulvey and backing bandmember Federico Bruno, it draws on African rhythms, pop, and group singing through verses about a young Sudanese woman in Sicily and about making it from Syria to Lebanon. (The songs video was made by Majid Adin, an Iranian animator who found refuge in the U.K.) Its not the only song with multiple guest vocalists, and Mulveys warm, conversational tone is sometimes double-tracked in addition to being reinforced or harmonized by others. All of the above can be heard on "Remembering" alongside vibrant melodic percussion and textured plucked and strummed string instruments. Even with some serious subject matter and a spare, wistful closing track, the albums bustling arrangements keep things spirited and sometimes outright celebratory. While he found success with the low-key, folkier vibe of First Mind, Mulvey did well to heed the advice of none other than Brian Eno, who in pre-recording meetings encouraged him to share some of the load with others. The outcome sounds like a skilled musician hitting his stride.$	Album: 3 of 4 Title: Wake Up Now Released: 2017-09-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover	1 Unconditional (03:44) 2 Transform Your Game (We Remain) (06:16) 3 Imogen (04:15) 4 Myela (05:35) 5 We Are Never Apart (04:34) 6 Remembering (04:16) 7 Mountain to Move (03:56) 8 When the Body Is Gone (06:10) 9 Lullaby (01:16) 10 In Your Hands (07:09) 11 Infinite Trees (04:02)
Wake Up Now : Allmusic album Review : Wake Up Now is the second solo album by former Portico Quartet percussionist Nick Mulvey, a singer, songwriter, and (primarily) guitarist with a degree in ethnomusicology. The follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut, First Mind, it likewise showcases an array of world music influences, particularly in terms of rhythm, but listeners will also notice a less intimate, more exuberant presentation. The latter has a lot to do with the fact that it was recorded live in the studio as a band with producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne). Following those sessions, tracks were passed to First Mind producer Dan Carey for finishing electronic touches, resulting in a record that seems both impulsive and impeccable at once. Not only an album steeped in international styles, but in global events, Wake Up Now addresses topics including the refugee crisis and the impact of fracking. Lead single "Myela," for instance, was inspired by first-hand accounts of journeys taken by refugees. Co-written by Mulvey and backing bandmember Federico Bruno, it draws on African rhythms, pop, and group singing through verses about a young Sudanese woman in Sicily and about making it from Syria to Lebanon. (The songs video was made by Majid Adin, an Iranian animator who found refuge in the U.K.) Its not the only song with multiple guest vocalists, and Mulveys warm, conversational tone is sometimes double-tracked in addition to being reinforced or harmonized by others. All of the above can be heard on "Remembering" alongside vibrant melodic percussion and textured plucked and strummed string instruments. Even with some serious subject matter and a spare, wistful closing track, the albums bustling arrangements keep things spirited and sometimes outright celebratory. While he found success with the low-key, folkier vibe of First Mind, Mulvey did well to heed the advice of none other than Brian Eno, who in pre-recording meetings encouraged him to share some of the load with others. The outcome sounds like a skilled musician hitting his stride.
	Album: 4 of 4 Title: Dancing for the Answers Released: 2018-05-18 Tracks: 4 Duration: 24:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover	1 Dancing for the Answers (08:42) 2 Give It to Kali (07:09) 3 The Doing Is Done (05:26) 4 Punta Cometa (Dancing for the Answers Alt version) (03:36)