Nicholas Roy “In A Shoebox Under The Bed” – LP Review

Review: Ben Connolly


In a Shoebox Under the Bed - Nicholas RoyNicholas Roy
  It’s a great romantic ideal, isn’t it? A fresh-faced boy with a heart of gold, a far-away stare and a modicum of musical ability notches up a home recording completed in his dreary Melbourne abode. Everything about it screams eyes-rolling type cliche, that we’ve read the story a million times to know it backwards and that nothing new or exciting can ever come out of that set up again. But that’s exactly what Melbourne lad Nicholas Roy has attempted in his first long player Nicholas Roy, released in August through indie label Little Tribe. And it’s a solid effort which manages to take a slightly different route than the troubled singer-songwriter path, but has it worked?


Roy is a Melbourne troubadour with some modest success and a rafter of rather impressive support slots up his sleeve, and it’s all done not while strumming an acoustic guitar, but with an array of keys under the arm. And it’s also not been done with a shoe-gazing fixation, but with a big dream in his head and a gaggle of interesting calling cards: Peter Gabriel, Beck and Ben Folds are name checked and shine most clearly. The thrust of the record is big 80s FM radio pop, with opening tracks “It’s All My Fault” and “Before The World Collapses” signposting the direction early. But it never quite makes the sonic shift into the stratosphere and is constrained by the home recording ethos. The vocals are high in the mix, with drum machine mechanics tying up much of the rest of the space on most tracks. Driving keys or guitars, and other highlights, barely get a look in, which is a shame considering where the artist is clearly trying to take this.

The album flow falters slightly, with a flaccid break-up ballad putting a quick break on proceedings. It’s a strange song selection early on with the second song; “Before The World Collapses”; and the fourth; “Everybody’s Talking”; offering the best chances to get into the intent of the album, but this chance is missed with the great hulking soft number smack up front. The rest of the album suffers as a result, with “Taxi” being the only highlight before a rousing finale attempts to restore the faith. And this is where the album really gathers strength; the three song closer – “Strangeness of Kindness”, “Devilish Smile” and “This Is How We Go Out” – are melodramatic builders which, despite being constrained by the limited space available on home equipment, all manage to provide a hint as to where the artist is going with all of this. It’s operatic and dramatic and seeks to underscore the deeply earnest musings and pair it with a big, cinematic score. It’s not there yet, but it has signalled enough intent from this young artist to pique an interest in his future.

Review: Ben Connolly


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