Irish artist Nell Mescal’s debut EP Can I Miss It For A Minute? gives voice to the complex ordeal of being oneself while attempting to find a place in other people’s lives.
The EP kicks off with ‘Warm Body’. The track deals with themes of abandonment and moving past adversity. Mellow guitar strumming sets an excellent backdrop for the opening lyrics “I’ll take a warm body if I can’t have love / Or I’ll go out drinking till I find the one”. The interlude, featuring intricate guitar harmonics embellishes and elevates the song. At its core, ‘Warm Body’ is a treasure trove of well-written lyrics touching on the transactional nature of human relationships through the brief lines, “I’ll give you something to believe in / Promise that you won’t go leaving”. It also tackles the brokenness that coming of age entails with the simple yet impactful lyric “Everything I touch, I break it”.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5QpwZrkTtceHA2o8mcjuw0?utm_source=generator
‘Yellow Dresser’ stands out for its daring vocals and themes. The strong use of imagery within the opening lines: “Left your three-page letter / Sitting on the yellow dresser / You asked me to read it / Said it should make me cry” helps readers resonate with the persona in the song. Touching on a failed relationship, it articulates the confusion and subsequent resentment that accompanies mourning an old flame. “I don’t know how to love you anymore / I don’t think I like your company” are fairly straightforward lyrics, yet they cut deep. This song also utilises a bridge in its structure, which packs a punch. The last chorus is followed by soaring vocals that signify a sense of release, and are a testament to Mescal’s vocal prowess.
‘Killing Time’ is a more upbeat tune indicative of a tonal shift in the EP. The lyrics, however, continue to follow the ongoing theme of feelings and their inevitable connection to relationships. “Do I still cross your mind / Were you just killing time?” is a burning question we have all longed to ask, and the way Mescal tastefully weaves these blunt lyrics into a pop song makes for an excellent artistic choice. This is followed by “Electric Picnic”, which makes reference to another track in the album: “Did ‘Yellow Dresser’ make you sad? / Or just the role you played in it?” This indicates Mescal’s ability to unpack the nuances of heartbreak and shows how an ex-lover won’t always feel bad for reasons you’d expect them to.
The EP culminates in ‘July’ which is acceptance put in the form of a song. The repetition of “it’s coming up roses” in the outro elicits a sense of freedom and a willingness to view the future with wonder and optimism.
Can I Miss It For A Minute? is a strong debut that shows that we have the power to view the world as we see it, as evidenced by Nell Mescal’s articulation of universal experiences through a unique and charming voice.
Words by Marinel Dizon
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