Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Nothing lasts forever, nothing can withstand time and tide, and all too often we ignore those who suggest that it might be the moment in which to step back, evaluate and reflect upon the mystery of what we have achieved; however of nothing lasts forever, how then do we gauge just what time means to us, in what we see and hear, and in what we appreciate.
The music of Nicola Hardman is a case in point when it comes to fully embracing what we have, a songwriter who encapsulates the hope of forever, of being able to see into the distance and make use of the courage, the faith we have that what we build, what we create, will at least face the test of time and outlive our own brief, mortal lives.
It is in the splendid combination and indeed gorgeous refrain of Ms. Hardman’s piano and voice that makes her new single, Forever (And Ever), such an incredible, and beautiful, song.
Time is always fleeting, what is fashionable today, soon becomes a parody tomorrow, forever not just lasting, but it can be seen to visibly corrode all that was once set in stone, the only way to avoid this at the time of your existence is to either constantly reinvent yourself, in a way that David Bowie excelled, never standing still, always in vogue, or by becoming so supreme in your chosen field that forever is in your debt, that is salutes you with a smile.
It is in the latter that that Nicola Hardman peacefully reigns, a voice that has captivated from the beginning, now finding a home in which to reside, comfortable, passionate, full of anticipation but one that is wise to the events surrounding her, the reflection of her own faith in her soul and one that explodes out onto the senses of the listener with unbound poise.
A simple driving piano sits at the heart of the song, a sound that doubles up in the heart and like time when it finds something worth cherishing, never lets it go; it might not last forever, but true beauty never fades, a true voice is not stepped in fashion, it is grounded in eternity.
Nicola Hardman’s Forever (And Ever) is out now.
Ian D. Hall