The late Nell Smith had a warm, rich voice. Her life was cut horribly short, and this is her first solo record. Anxious follows on from her collaboration with Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips) on Where the Viaduct Looms, an exploration of Nick Cave songs. This new Bella Union release is a reminder of how precious a thing talent is.
The title cut, anchored by layered and smart production by the folks from Penelope Isles, is wonderful. The warmth of "Daisy Fields" is buttressed by unobtrusive touches in the mix and backing, with the quietly spry "The Worst Best Drug" being sort of a pop number that's not quite as morose as the title might suggest. This one reminds just how wonderful was the voice of Nell Smith. And with deft arrangements around that instrument, one can only listen and imagine how many records like this one she'd have been able to make had she lived longer.
For a record which is a posthumous one from someone who died way too young, Anxious is a surprisingly non-downer of a release. While a listener is confronted with the fact that a prodigious talent was taken from us far too soon all throughout the album, the music here is full of life, and clever bits of instrumentation that echo Stereolab ("Boy in the Bubble") and The Flaming Lips ("Split in the Sky"). Help from Shred Kelly from Nell's own British Columbia keeps things nimble and melodic. While this is an album that can't help but be written about from the perspective of the death of the young artist at the helm, it's a really lively offering, one full of energy and youth.
Anxious by Nell Smith is out now via Bella Union.