I wonder how many words will pass before the fact that that this EP’s creator is only 17 is brought up. In the case of this review, the answer is (appropriately enough) 17. It’s very hard not to bring that up, even as it stands, and this is made even more difficult by my assertion that Nina Nesbitt [Twitter/Facebook] is an extremely talented young Scotswoman. I have somewhat of a thing for acoustic guitar-led folk-pop, and if you’re in the same boat, then I implore you to stop what you’re doing and, at the very least, check out the sumptuous title track from The Apple Tree.
It is a fine introduction to Nesbitt’s world, and the kind of narrative storytelling that she employs on the exquisitely-layered Seesaw is the sort that will resonate with Laura Marling fans, even if her songs are geared much more towards the end of the pop spectrum than that would suggest. Her deceptively simple and wonderfully direct melodies provide a platform for her distinctive voice. The EP artwork may come across as slightly too twee for some tastes, but her earnest approach to songwriting is indicative of someone with talent beyond their years, as is clearly audible on penultimate track Only Love.
Musically speaking, Nesbitt likes to keep things busy, but it is when she strips things back that she truly excels. Hold You features just her voice and a wonderful piano line, but it’s the EP’s finest moment by some distance. She has a bright future ahead of her if she can produce songs of that quality, and it’s a testament to her self-belief that she’s started writing songs at such a young age. Her best years are still to come, that much is for certain, but there’s a staggering amount of potential on The Apple Tree, and all of it can definitely be built on – not to mention the fact that it’s an impressive start.
The Apple Tree EP is out now on N² Records.
Title track stream: