Birdie Nichols’ Into the West is a boldly assertive release from a name that I’m willing to bet will be around for decades to come. The seventeen year old harbors impressive ambitions and an already vibrant sense of individuality. She’s intent on making her own mark. Her debut from the OMG Nashville imprint, Into the West features nine songs blending a personal poetic perspective with rural influences that are staples in the country genre. She’s already an unquestionably skilled and appealing live performer who has graced some of Nashville’s famed venues such as the Ryman and the Bluebird Café, but Into the West also makes a case that she’s a songwriter of burgeoning talents.
URL: https://www.birdienichols.com/
Opening with the title song is definitely a statement of intent. Much of the early lyrics for “Into the West” focus on establishing an early identity for Nichols that listeners can trust. Her vocal confidence makes it easy. She’s mastered convincing phrasing and shows a clear gift for tailoring her voice to suit the song’s musical demands. Don’t underestimate this song’s verbal wordplay. It gives Nichols a lot to do, and she carries it off with seemingly effortless aplomb.
“Tough as Diamonds” puts its best musical foot forward leading off with its chorus. It’s a confident way of introducing the song and boasts a strong hook to keep us listening. Subtle instrumental touches like adding an organ for color help further flesh out the track’s potential. Songs such as this have an appeal that extends far past country music’s relatively limited purview; “Tough as Diamonds” could make significant inroads into the pop world if promoted.
The song “Blue Lightning Ambush” starts with a brief snippet of sound effects. It is a moody, mid-tempo piece driven by an unique guitar sound. The acoustic guitar underpinning the electric gives the track a fuller body than it might have otherwise and an evocative instrumental break near the beginning of the song’s second half heralds a memorable conclusion. This song illustrates another strength. Into the West’s songwriting makes unexpected use of language that distinguishes it from much more run of the mill affairs.
“No Cattle Kind of Cowboy” has a sassy kick that Nichols wisely never overplays. Instead, it sounds sly, subtle, and lightly sensual without ever sounding sordid or questionable. The writing layers the lyrics with the same mix of clever wordplay and significant detail that distinguishes the whole collection. The single “Desert Lilies Blooming” has a midtempo pace for a mature, confidently handled look at love and its sometimes-accompanying heartache. The song’s title is an especially suggestive and powerful image to hinge the cut on and Nichols plays it perfectly.
The finale “Golden Fields of the Sun” embraces an unexpected theatrical edge. Echoes of country music history abound. Longtime genre fans will hear distant influences such as “Ghost Riders in the Sky” present in the song’s construction. The narrative strengths of “Golden Fields of the Sun” are abundant and vividly conveyed. It’s a jaw-dropper closer for the release that brings Birdie Nichols’ Into the West to an unforgettable close.
Garth Thomas