Nycole August’s Pills For Tears is an incredibly open and raw piece of music and writing that deals very honestly with some of the deepest emotional struggles that come with modern life. Beginning as it means to go on, the song opens up with that key idea, that title concept, and progresses in a way that explores the story-line further and in much more detail.
This often unshakable habit we develop in self-medicating to overcome sadness or fear is one that commonly seems to appear out of nowhere and that generally tends to keep itself hidden as we continue about our daily lives. To hear artists talking about it is important, and the level of emotion showcased throughout this release, in just about every way, reflects the sentiment effectively.
The piano riff that introduces the song contrasts in a simple yet striking way with the electronically driven beat. The chord changes as the song moves forward make for a powerful ballad set-up, and the leading artist’s voice consistently echos this structural development and the increasing passion that is underlined with the movement of the music.
The song has something of a nineties R&B feel to it, though the instrumentation seems to be much more closely connected with a somewhat modern production style. The lyrics teeter between the painful truth and the poetic thought process, the latter half of the track really taking on those inner thoughts and that reflective writing style – appearing more as a general string of statements than something specific and detailed. Essentially, welcoming the audience and their own experiences into the moment.
Pills For Tears is a bold and unapologetically open song that presents a certain truth, and what’s more, it does so in a notably real way. You can hear the connection between the singer and the subject matter, and that makes a big difference in how it’s received.
Find & follow Nycole August on Facebook, Soundcloud & Instagram. Visit her Website for more information.
