Nuff X - Making Waves

Hear The Track Here

In the nearly two years Nuff X has been around Soundclick, he has made many friends and fans - obviously more so in the electronica world than in general, but even there he is beginning to move out of the solidly electronic field to pursue other avenues of making music. He's been doing it very successfully too, clutching his 'glitch' niche to his breast, the man has come out with some dazzling tracks over the last year or so. Most of them getting at least a Highly Recommended from me and a couple coming within a C hair (think about it) of gaining Must Have status. So, there is much that James Bacon (aka Nuff X) can feel pleased about...

but that was then and this is now... :D

Making Waves is, in the artists own words 'a bit Portishead, ends up a bit NIN' which suggests that he is still pursuing the same trend as Undefined (April 2007), Heroic (March 2007) and I Didn't Come Here To Be Lied To (February 2007) set out beforehand. A little bit of electronica, a little bit of English northern vocals (mope-ll's even), and a LOT of technical jiggery pokery all of which comes out sounding like nothing you ever heard before - and therein lies the attraction for me for this artist. Dare to be different? Nuff X goes out of his way to be different - even from track to track. Making Waves carries a 'very early demo' tag but to be honest I don't think anyone would ever notice it if it wasn't pointed out. Sure, there is a little sonic roughness in the track, but that is often the case with this artist and it generally works well. Portishead isn't the first musical reference I got because to me this sounded more like The Cure than anything else.

That may, or may not, be a good thing. Depending on your mope factor I guess.

I thought that the Cure were a good live band, and made some good singles; and Nuff captures both of these aspects but I can see - after repeated plays - why he states it is an early demo. To be sure, some of the instruments are not particularly well defined, and there is a distinct muddiness in the bottom end of the mix; the vocals could be worked on somewhat to make them cut through more. However, underneath those quite superficial problems is an excellent, hard edged track that is quintesenntially English in style and feel and could well be one of this artists best tracks - given a slight makeover. No lyrics online, which is a shame, but hopefully when the final version is released this will also be remedied. In the meantime, no one but us nit pickers would ever see anything wrong with this, so go ahead take some time and have a listen if what I've said interests you.

Highly Recommended English cross between Alternative and electronica.