Nomad gets reflective alongside Kobe White & Antoine on album prelude ‘Life & Times’

Nomad has brought together fellow Melbourne artists Antoine and Kobe White for the Spellspellspell-produced track ‘Life & Times’. The song, which was released as a part of a 3-track prelude entitled ‘Birthday Boy’, is heightened by the authentic lyrical delivery of Nomad and Antoine. ‘Life & Times’ sees both artists trading internal musings and reflections for the listener to hear and take in, with themes ranging from remaining true to oneself, to the power of self-acceptance as a tool for greater awareness and control of one’s destiny. As a prelude, ‘Birthday Boy’ captures Nomad’s inherent desire to provide listeners with the realest extension of himself, whilst also giving us an impressive insight into what we’re to expect from his upcoming debut album ‘The Nomadic: Volume 1’, which is due for release November 26th.

Nomad’s range is something that we have become accustomed to seeing from the Melbourne artist, and ‘Life & Times’ is as pertinent a demonstration of this as one could experience through his balancing of heartfelt vocals and sage bars. The way Nomad unpackages both the external challenges of racism and societal conformity, and the internal battle between the desire for success and embracing contentedness is exceptional. It is the frustration of these experiences, felt both inwardly and outwardly, that Nomad is coming to terms with on this track as he states: “But I am not after no retribution, I’m just tryna make a contribution, a positive for brothers they be locking up inside of institutions”. Following this, Antoine’s verse eloquently breaks down the young artist’s struggles with self-doubt in the face of the challenges he has undergone. His acknowledgement of his faults within his verse speaks to his self-awareness, something which he expresses has been essential to build in order to embrace a stronger inner-resilience.

Listening to ‘Life & Times’ is undeniably therapeutic. It is a testament to how well-crafted and true-to-life the core ingredients of ‘Life & Times’ are that they’re then able to blend together in such a meaningful fashion. It feels almost carthatic to go through this track, as you feel like you’re standing side-by-side with Nomad, Antoine and Kobe White, so deeply felt is the transparency of their lyrics and delivery. From the opening’s use of a warm bass that welcomes you into this immensely reflective and powerful track, you’re encouraged as the listener to let go and simply absorb the music. And the use of Kobe White’s harmonies and ephemeral vocals in the background is a superb contribution, as the vocalist embodies the thoughtful mood and inner-monologue aesthetic of this song wholeheartedly. Undeniably, Spellspellspell has crafted something beautiful with the production on this track – an irrefutably perfect platform for the artists to perform on.

Words by Matthew Badrov