Eric Nicholas’s first full-length solo album has the Winnipegger already sounding like a seasoned master. He makes straight up pop music, but Nicholas disguises it by adding just the right amount of extras to steer things from Dullsville. He layers on a slightly cheesy (in a good way) keyboard and then adds some unobtrusive dance beats along with his soft vocals. Throw in an excellent production job and you have a perfect mix for some subdued, fuzzy vibes. It’s like going to the dance club in your slippers and pajama bottoms – loose, warm and comfy as heck. Even the worst songs on Words and Sounds are nice and welcoming while the best ones, Baby Just Do What You Want To and Stranger in Tokyo, are one A&R man’s ears away from being this year’s huge ubiquitous hits a la last year’s MGMT.

Published in Volume 63, Number 25 of The Uniter (March 26, 2009)