Nikolai Stevens debuts his soulful EP, "Orchard Avenue"
Released in 2020, but still as awe-inspiring today, Nikolai Stevens has shared his debut EP, Orchard Avenue. Do yourselves a favor and read along with us for our full thoughts on the record, as well as a background on the artist as well.
Folk singer and songwriter Nikolai Stevens is currently based out of Southern California, in which he gained a majority of his inspiration whilst writing Orchard Avenue. Seeking influence from legends such as Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Neil Young, and many more, he’s managed to take the best parts of them and implement his own signature sound into the mix on his debut record.
Coming in at a total of 5 tracks, spanning 23 imagery filled minutes, Orchard Avenue aims to cover themes and personal experiences pulling directly from Nikolai’s life. Instrumentally diverse from start to finish, the record covers the folk spectrum by including guest features on multiple sections across the listen.
Across the five total tracks, the artist manages to cover a handful of complex topics such as protests, suicide, and plenty more. As lovely as the album is to audibly listen to, it also serves its purpose as a story book come to life. We could describe the listen as being broken up into two parts. The first listen could directly be spent listening to the lush instrumentals, with 100% focus on how each talented musician manages to shine. The second listen would be a pure lyricism listen. With so much being covered in such a short amount of time, it would require multiple listens to really grasp everything the artist is putting on your plate.
As folk lovers, especially the type of music that features unique vocals such as Nikolai’s, we couldn’t help but instantly fall in love after our first listen. To the reader, this is a complex listen, but the more you absorb, the better it will be. As for a listening setting, this feels like the type of record that is best enjoyed on a long car ride or really when you’ve got alone time to reflect on what’s happening around you. All in all though, it really is worth your time and we highly recommend a listen or two. Enjoy!
For all things Nikolai Stevens, to listen, and to keep up with all future releases and information, please check out the following links below.
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