Track Review: Nick Howe // Give Me A Reason
He’s performed an average of 200 shows per year across 15 countries, including the USA. He’s performed at renowned music festivals like Glastonbury. He has co-written songs with Matty Benbrook (Jack Savoretti, Paulo Nutini), Billy Lockett and Ivor Novello winning songwriter Ian Archer (Jake Bugg, James Bay, Snow Patrol). His debut single The Struggle Is Real reached #1 on the singer-songwriter iTunes charts in 2016. So, who is he? He is Nick Howe.
Based in London, England, Nick Howe is an innovative singer-songwriter with an ability to “look outside of the box” when creating art. For instance, he recently gathered 35 professional dancers worldwide (all in quarantine) to create a dance music video for his single ‘It Belongs To Her’. We await the official confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of quarantined dancers to feature in a single music video.
Enough of his ingenuity outside of the singer-songwriting world, let’s get to the purpose of this article – to review Nick’s latest single ‘Give Me A Reason’.
Touching on the issue of unhealthy relationships, ‘Give Me A Reason’ explores the frustration and pain when trying to pull away from toxic love. According to Nick, “sometimes you know a situation or person isn’t good for you, even if it feels good at times, but you just need that defining reason to get out of there…that’s what the song’s about”.
Eclectic and a little quirky, Nick expresses the desperation of a toxic relationship with relatable lyrics and an emotional sound. Beginning with simple guitar plucking but moving toward a frenzied synth-driven style, ‘Give Me A Reason’ takes you a rollercoaster of inner turmoil with some dips of clarity. Nick’s vocals are bold and effortless enhancing the passion and power of the track. All in all, it’s a great song, but it can be a little overwhelming with its sincerity and raw honesty.