Single Review : Nikoli; Take It & Go and She Asks Me

There is so much pop in the world; put whatever tag you want in front of it, Cheesy, Electro, Indie, we love it and it is a fundamental part of listening pleasure.

Nikoli are not ashamed of their pop nature, and nor should they be. Producing good catchy tunes is no crime, and Take It & Go and She Asks Me have you singing along on the second play.

Tiers of sound move in and out, bringing to the fore vocals, drums, guitars and piano. As ‘She Asks Me’ commences a strong bass pulls out of the stereo and slaps on to the floor to hold you physically to the lulling guitar and vocal harmonies. The sound rolls around, as if you are being pushed amongst the band, journeying with them through the song.

This single release is a pre-cursor to an album and the band intend to build on the sound that they are showcasing here. I would like to hear this developed in to an album, to hear the strong production values employed across a full hour and to see where they can take it. The quality of writing could create an album that takes pop away from the dire precedents set by bands like Keane and develops the band’s sound through the full duration of the album.

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Take It & Go/She Asks Me are available from Nikoli's label East Park Records

This review was written for and published by Tasty Fanzine.