Sea Fever [LP], Sarah Nixey, Vinyl

Formerly one third of the much-loved trio Black Box Recorder, alongside The Auteursa Luke Haines and Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist John Moore, the British singer-songwriter Sarah Nixey has steadily gained acclaim as a solo artist who makes savvy, sophisticated and poised pop. Delivering vocals with a detached elegance over opulent tracks, any perceived nonchalance in Nixeyas luxe, cut glass voice belies her empathy, where social commentary serves as protest, both explicit and implied. Like Billy Bragg deepfaked as prime Julie Andrews, this strange but effective juxtaposition radiates soft power. a-Lies of the Landa depicts a corrupt post-Brexit and Covid-19 world where inequality and division flourish. a-England's On Firea delves into the nuanced concepts of patriotism and nationalism, and a-Pleasure Baya narrates the story of a love affair with a deprived yet beautiful English seaside town, written after Nixey left London, drawn back to the Dorset coast. More than just a political record though, Nixey was drawn to the poetic elements of living too, telling stories of life and death, love and loss, conflicts and symmetry, in an intimate and close-up way, as if whispering secrets to her listeners. aoSea Fever explores the bittersweet beauty of human life amid a volatile world of changing seasons and brutal elements, a? says Nixey. aoThese are songs of deep sorrow, remembrance, birth, and change, set against a backdrop of the sensuous natural world.a?a-Rolling Wavesa explores profound grief following her beloved grandmother's death, while a-Spring Equinoxa celebrates the joy and awe of life after welcoming her first grandchild. a-At the Edge of the Foresta is a poignant story of someone losing their memory, and a-On This Wide Nighta recounts the early hours return home of a teenage runaway.