Nicolay
Here
BBE
Rating: 
Whether as a metaphor to the fact that Netherlands producer Nicolay has “made it” in the music world, or an allusion to his recent move to North Carolina, for the listener, Here is not always where you want to be. It is disappointing to pop Here in the deck after a wave of quality releases from Nicolay like Connected, his 2004 collaboration with Little Brother’s Phonte Coleman as the Foreign Exchange and his big break in the U.S.; and his more recent Scion sampler, From Across the Pond.
Looked at as one of hip hop’s up-and-coming producers, Nicolay doesn’t emphasize complex drum programming. He gives his sound a particularly “clean” feel with just a typically booming kick and a tight snare. But it is his melodic focus that has truly won his fans over. Though he always approaches his beats with a sound incorporating quality within simplicity, a lot of the songs on Here are too simple. It gives the album a drowsy feel — particularly the intro track, which is a crucial element to setting up the rest of the album.
There are a few redeeming aspects on Here which should help his fans hoping it’s just a stumbling block as opposed to an oncoming pattern of lackluster releases. Every track Nicolay does with singer/songwriter Yahzarah is a highlight and “Adore,” a song in which she jumps effortlessly from octave to octave about finding love after knowing so much tragedy in her life, is no different. Another number classified in the “banger” category is “I Am the Man” featuring Black Spade, except for the chorus that continually repeats, “I take you there/In the midnight hour/In my B-boy stance/’cause I am the man.” Otherwise, it’s a successful collaboration between the two, and shines light on a new talent to keep an eye on.
When listening to Here, there is no denying the signature Nicolay sound. But compared to past releases, it just does not have that certain je ne se qua. Let’s hope that once our friend from across the pond settles into his new Carolina digs, he’ll come back strong. When he does, listening to those tight, clean beats will be like a breath of fresh air.
— James O’Connor
