Tracking all the changes Nadia Reid has gone through since her last album, Out of My Province came out in 2020, it becomes obvious we are dealing with a very different woman, one who has had a series of changes. She has had two children, moved about half a world from New Zealand to Manchester, and recorded her first album on a major label. Enter Now Brightness, released on Chrysalis, represents the beginning of a new era for Reid. Tracked while she was pregnant with her second child, the album is not only more self-assured, it uses a brighter colour pallet, one that highlights a new maturity.
While the opening notes of ‘Emmanuelle’ harken back to older days, it doesn’t take long before new shades and sounds emerge. ‘Cry On Cue’, with an early dash of drums alongside the piano and guitar, is awash with tones and textures, creating a larger scope. Hard to believe she would often be doing vocal takes between bouts of vomiting during her pregnancy.
A wash of horns burnishes ‘Baby Bright’, filling it with unexpected colours that merge with keyboards, taking the song into unexplored territory. Amidst a chorus of voices, Reid sings with a strength that only adds to the lyrics. “I carried around all your pages right/ You were suspended in my night/ It’s only way to let her know you tried/ Baby bright.”
Enlarging the size of her pallet, Reid goes off in a variety of new directions. The instrumentation is bold, from the opening drum beat to the roiling guitar, ‘Chained Unchained’ crackles with an electric energy. As Reid sings, “Did we get it right? I wonder/ Did I hold the light? I see it now/ It wasn’t anybody’s fault.” This is a wider screen vision than she has presented in the past, right down to the final acapella “Right on”.
The album has a snap to it, as if it is firing with a supercharged engine. ‘Hotel Santa Cruz’ boldly rocks out. “You made it out of your hometown alive/ Would you believe that in your lady’s eyes/You are brighter/ You are holier in her light.” These are tales of times and places that seem to fit a bolder vision than heard before. From a woman who seems to be finding a new place in the world.
Enter Now Brightness exposes a different Nadia Reid. One who is more aware and self-assured. From first note to last, she seems to be at the top of her game, defining a sound that is hers alone.