In “I’m Not Nicely,” the brand new single from singer/songwriter Shane Britt, blue-collar nation (a pressure barely extra conventional than what we’ve been seeing out of this new wave in Americana over the previous 12 months) meets disciplined lyricism for what could possibly be top-of-the-line fusions of 2023. Written with coronary heart over conceptualism, “I’m Not Nicely” begins gradual however shortly morphs right into a fully-engaging, relentlessly heavy piece that would make even essentially the most discriminating of listeners right into a fan of this model of nation music. The instrumentation contributes as a lot to the narrative as any of the lyrics do on this observe, and whereas that’s primarily on par with what followers ought to count on in a brand new launch in 2023, it’s, sadly, changing into a little bit of a uncommon treasure this month.  

The delicate rigidity that we encounter within the buildup of the refrain on this observe is sudden within the wake of the reasonably pendulous introduction, nevertheless it nonetheless makes the refrain much more cathartic than it already would have been. I get the concept Shane Britt needed to maximise the emotionality on this tune via a number of avenues, and in spreading out the melodic allure throughout the instrumentation and vocals, it’s all of the tougher to keep away from the passionate blows coming via the audio system. It’s somewhat calculated in comparison with plenty of the opposite pop music out proper now, however that’s maybe what makes “I’m Not Nicely” such an attention-grabbing single this July. It’s sophisticated however not fairly excessive, which is a troublesome center floor for even essentially the most gifted of gamers to search out.  

There isn’t plenty of percussive presence on this tune, however I feel that I can perceive why. The string strumming creates a pleasant little ebbtide within the rhythm that guides the vocal via the refrain reasonably sweetly, and in avoiding any crashing cymbals or bombastic breakdowns behind the drums, the harmonies are allowed to behave because the sonic centerpiece they had been at all times meant to be in “I’m Not Nicely.” Shane Britt is a person of many skills, and that a lot could be very apparent when listening to this brand-new single, however by steering away from something too over-the-top right here, he makes it simpler to fall in love with what he conceived on this single.

I wasn’t accustomed to Shane Britt earlier than sitting down with “I’m Not Nicely” only recently, however I’m trying ahead to listening to extra from his camp as he finds a footing within the ever-expanding underground circuit. A person who has not one layer to his artistry however various, Britt has plenty of potential to do various things along with his sound, however right here, I like how weak and unfiltered he’s keen to be with the viewers – a lot in a method that lots of his rivals would by no means be able to. His is a narrative that’s nonetheless unfolding earlier than us all, and in time, I feel it’s going to take him out of the shadows and into the highlight to remain.  

Mindy McCall