Recommended Tracks: “Paper Tiger”, “Right This Time”, “Last Show”
Artists You May Like: Erika Lewis, Heather Bond, Bonnie Raitt
For singer-songwriter Nicole Lund, who performs under lund, a seemingly innocent tarot card reading was all she needed to forge her own path. After earning both a vocal and a music business degree from Appalachian State University, she spent a decade in management and booking. One night, however, she pulled the Hermit card during a tarot read, which represented exploration and growth. Nicole took it as a sign that it was finally time to break away and focus on making her own music. She then spent the summer of 2020 recording her debut album, Right This Time, which contained material Nicole had held onto for years. With songs that dive into the compromises that come with relationships to the emotions that come from accepting oneself, Right This Time covers defining moments that were too complex to understand at the time but delivered much meaning in the end.
Throughout Right This Time, lund details the strain of relationships and the desire to find common ground. On opening track “Paper Tiger,” we hear about a partner who pretends to be the perfect lover but is really just a disappointment. Over a grungy folk-rock production, which makes the track one of a few rock-leaning songs on the album, Nicole sings, “Lover, lover, lover please me,” hoping to make a connection. She also gives us tracks like “Don’t You Leave Me” and “Good Advice,” which touch on the prospect of working things out. On the former, we get lines like “I’ll keep doing me, you gon’ keep on doing you / Let’s try to push on through / You’re one of the good few,” the chugging drum beat reinforcing the determination to do better. On the latter, we hear an ultimatum in the form of, “Can you love me / Or can you let me go?” as Nicole tries to get this other person to share where the relationship is headed before it’s too late.
In some circumstances, Nicole speaks of that urge to take a stand and act on it. With “Last Show,” she asserts herself by singing, “I’m done waiting around / I will not be held down” and marks the close of a relationship. While the faint drums and guitar strums in the background depict a broken spirit, the song is lyrically very resilient. At the end of the album, we are told the story of a woman who also takes back her life on “Something’s Gotta Give.” On the track, a woman takes her kids and runs away from a bad situation, all the odds against them. There is a desperation and sense of urgency that comes across with lines like “Nothing can repair the damage done” and “She’s just gotta make it through,” but whether it is the strength shown on previous songs or the defiance heard on others like “Not Coming Home,” we get the sense that this story has a positive ending.
Occasionally, we also get tracks that are all for embracing love and making the most of it. The title track paints a soft scene with layers of earnest vocals and relaxed instrumentals. It all reinforces Nicole’s need for this love to go “right this time” as she sings, “It’s been a while and I’ve been lonely / Careful to choose who’s in my company / And then I found you, but I’m weary.” There’s also “Bed’s Too Big Without You,” which is about missing someone when they are gone. We are used to hearing about wanting more from relationships and having the conviction to leave ones that have gone awry, but “Bed’s Too Big Without You” displays a side of Nicole we hadn’t really seen, where she feels too alone on her own.
Overall, it definitely paid off for Nicole to draw the Hermit card that night. You never know when the timing will be right to make moves, and while Nicole’s way of knowing that the time was now may have been unconventional, it was meant to be. On Right This Time, her expertise in performance and ties with other artists come through, giving each track its rightful moment to shine. There are also many playful colors, textures, and vocals that make it a solid, cohesive debut album as opposed to an album from a new artist trying to find their sound. In the end, lund impart that if all is not right for now, do what needs to be done to make it better and believe in the possibilities.
You can listen to Right This Time on platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Keep up with lund: Facebook // Instagram // YouTube // Website
