Last fall Nick Lanser released his debut album Every Little Thing. It’s really like two albums in one. The first four songs are full on folk while the last five are modular synth improvisations.
Nick moved from Eau Claire (WI) to Minneapolis about five year ago; this album is five years in the making and finished during the pandemic in his newly constructed home studio. It is a snap shot of where Nick is now and that includes the two distinct sounds. The improv seems like the result of the new studio and having time to spend with it in the last year.
The folks songs hint at some of the difficulty of moving to a new area and figuring out if you’re OK. They are gentle songs about uncertainties. I especially enjoy the ambient songs, because they are unique. They are rich and while I couldn’t give the back story for a song like Reit Pair, I get a mood. It makes me feel like I’m moving forward. There’s sense of growing stronger. Talking to Nick I know that there are layers upon layers in the music and intention in the post production. Heather put it well when she compared Nick’s ambient music to good food. Some folks might be able to discern the spices, others might not, but we can all enjoy it.
Nick also connects to visual art, especially collages. I think we’ll see his next album incorporate the idea of the collage as a way to bring an undercurrent to the folk music. But who knows? That’s the existing thing about someone who plays for himself at this moment in time.
Mostly Minnesota 