Single: Nothing Alike by Keir Gibson
‘Nothing Alike’, the new self-released single from Fort-William based singer-songwriter Keir Gibson, is an emotive pop-rock/alt-pop fusion, depicting the struggling relationship of a couple trying to connect with one another.
Keir’s voice stopped me in my tracks from the very first line, with a vocal tone simultaneously rich and light, with a pleasant, velvety vibrato, reminding me strongly of the striking vocals of James Arthur.
The track, written over zoom with his friend Joey Knight, is a slick combination of a well-constructed, flowing verse melody and catchy chorus; poppy, yet without being an incessant, repetitive earworm. The arrangement contains a bright pop vocal with a natural kind of instrumentation: acoustic and electric guitar, piano, bass and ukulele, all played and recorded by Keir himself at home. For the last two years he has been focused on song writing and learning to self-produce. He mentions that this single “feels more personal this time around because I’ve worked on the material for so long by myself.” He also mentions he “hope(s) people can recognise the development sonically and connect with the track!”
I think Keir has successfully achieved this, and the development in his sound from his 2019 releases, ‘Eyes Wide’ and ‘Hollow’ is evident. Though his performance style and songwriting remain similar, the production leans more towards the alternative, organic side, rather than the polished and precise pop production of these previous two. His 2020 release, ‘Circles’ has more pop-rock percussion, but still has a clean-cut commercial sound. All three tracks sound very radio-friendly, appealing to a wider, more mainstream audience, but the arrangement and production of ‘Nothing Alike’ is more befitting to his flowing melodies, personal lyrics and raw performance, with the overall result coming across more genuine and heartfelt. It complements, rather than detracting from, those signature elements.
The lyrics are simple and direct, taking a colloquial approach rather than leaning heavily on metaphors. The result is honest and refreshing. Instrumentally, the song progresses from quiet acoustic guitar chords in the first verse, building momentum to a satisfying “drop” before a fuller arrangement hits at the second chorus, a crescendo at the bridge and a more stripped back last chorus with emotive, authentic-sounding piano. Some pleasant “crunchiness” in the chords and unusual vocal harmonies add some grit and unexpected texture and interest, befitting the more human and relatable feel. Subtle production techniques such as flowing, high frequency reverbs in the background and vocal delays add to the atmosphere and enhance emotional impact.
Having furthered my knowledge on recording and music production over the years and putting it into practice, particularly over the last year, I can relate to feeling the benefits of having control over the production in my own songs. “Getting to explore what sonic world I want my music to live in, how it's framed and also how it comes across to people is so important to me”, Keir says. Subtle production choices can make or break a track, and dramatically alter the way it comes across to the listener. I think he has done a stellar job at bringing out this song’s full potential and matching the heart-on-sleeve lyrics and passionate performance with a perfectly imperfect approach to arrangement and production, along with subtle ear-candy to add some sparkle.
‘Nothing Alike’ is both classic and contemporary; catchy and heart-warmingly human - and has the potential to go far.
At only 21 years of age, this young artist is already off to a great head-start in his musical talents and endeavours, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he rose to fame. I have greatly enjoyed all four of his released songs to date, my favourite being this latest one. It will certainly get many streams on Spotify from me – and I expect many others. I look forward to hearing more music from Keir, and hope he continues in his self-production journey too. Bringing his “sonic vision” to life has paid off well, and I expect great things from him in future.
