The newest effort from multi-talented artist Franz Nicolay is an engaging mix of poetic songwriting and overly dramatic staging that rambles like its title, New River.
Nicolay has written a novel, teaches music/creative writing at Bard, and holds down piano duties in The Hold Steady, so the pandemic offered him a chance to exhale and dive back into his solo songwriting; New River feels invigorating throughout the ten songs presented here.
The acoustic strums of “Wandering Stars” set the easy tone as the biblically tinged lyrics flow out from the melodramatic singing of Nicolay as supporting harmonies are expertly delivered by Deanna Belos, Lauren Denitzio, and Maria Sonevytsky. Things move into a more rock dimension for “Beaten For The Light” with big drums and piano runs as a heavy guitar riff chugs along before Jeff Rosenstock joins the fun on “Garlic and Wine” which pumps with banging raucous energy.
Things rarely stay in one place for long as piano and dramatic builds lead to a flute solo from Pete Hess on “The Morris Column” before Nicolay moves into both smooth and noise jazz during “It’s Dawn” with mixed results. Then the album hen jarringly jumps into his most rocking song, the new wave-inspired “Your Ode Played By French Horns” which was co-written and features Steve Selvidge on guitar. These changes can be off-putting at first, but things catch a reasonable vibe as the record settles in
The back half of the album has a run of tunes that would fit snugly into a Hold Steady setlist as the excellent “First-Person Spectacular” starts with a country swing and moves to anthemic territory beautifully. The vibes and drums from Ara Babajian propel the overly dramatic “Champagne Sammy” while “Players In Wheat and Wine” strolls hazily on an easy beat, bringing piano, horns, and accordion to a big drunken sing-along. Nicolay’s vocals feel like he is proclaiming poetic truths from a stage as if an actor was delivering a soliloquy during each tune, but there is an earnest charm that also seeps through.
On the finale “New River, Spring For Me” Franz pulls out all the dramatic stops as thoughts of suicide, redemption, love and the earth itself flow together in off-Broadway fashion with piano, electro keys, guitars horns, and more coloring the large set piece, acting as a totem for the record as a whole.
Franz Nicolay and company deliver a vibrant, heartfelt effort throughout the spirited and full-bodied New River.
