Alabama native Nick Gill is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter who recently signed with Rock Ridge Music. Releasing his fourth album (but his first with the label) Waves Are Only Water, Gill is introduced to a whole new audience. With a pop/folk sound reminiscent of artists like Mat Kearney and Dave Barnes, the theme of the album is something everyone can relate to: "Anything you're going through, it's just waves in the ocean, little ripples you can get through." 

 

First track "By The Way" opens with soft guitar strums and drums, giving the song a slight country vibe. The rhythm is upbeat and catchy as Gill sings the chorus: "By the way / You don't need a pot of gold / To show me that your love is gold / By the way." This song, like several others on the album, is more of a love song, which establishes variety and Gill's ability to write on several topics.

 

Written about the suicide of a close friend, "How It Feels" takes the pain and sorrow from that situation and puts a hopeful spin on the topic. With upbeat guitar strums, strings, and percussion, Gill sings the chorus, "I know now why we need love and empathy / You never showed the pain and all the shame / And I know how it feels / To lose a friend." Remembering past times together and bringing closure to a devastating circumstance, Gill is able to turn the experience into a way to make himself a better person and friend.

 

"Risky Business" is a slower track, but still contains the same theme of hope found throughout the entire project. For Gill, this could easily be a song about his own music career and the struggles he's had to face along the way. With quiet strums and electric guitars, Gill sings the chorus, "When you dive in risky business / You may never come up / When you dive in risky business / Hold onto all of your hopes." Even with slightly solemn lyrics, there's still a feeling of encouragement and hope.

 

Containing the album's title in the chorus, "Row", is a great reminder of how we can keep the challenges of life in the right perspective. As Gill sings, "Waves are only water / Easily broken without a bother/ And just when you think you've hit a new low / God helps you row," the truth of knowing God is much bigger than what may seem hopeless to us, will help keep us from getting discouraged and overwhelmed.

 

Nick Gill is a promising new artist with an obvious gift for writing songs that speak to listener's hearts in a variety of ways. Waves Are Only Water is a perfect introduction to new fans and embodies the peaceful hope and catchy pop/folk sound of artists like Mat Kearney and Dave Barnes, yet is unique in its own right. I look forward to hearing even more from Gill and can't wait to see what the future holds for this singer/songwriter.