Something is reassuring about an artist circling back to what first lit the spark. London’s Nigel Brown has done exactly that with While Away, released on 2nd January 2026. After spending time composing instrumental production music, he felt the itch to return to songwriting, the old friend he discovered at 14 and never quite shook off.
Drawing from touchstones like The Stone Roses, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, and Mark Knopfler, Brown leans into his influences without getting swallowed whole. It brings the familiar but fresh, classic rock DNA with a modern pulse, all recorded in his West London home studio with help from his son Charlie, whose drum takes are apparently lightning-fast and instinctive.
Opener “Hear The Setting Sun” sets the tone with sparkling, splashing cymbals, rustling beats, and bright strummed guitars. It’s breezy on the surface but emotionally tugged underneath. “It feels so right, it feels so wrong…” Brown sings, caught between heart and head. The chorus lifts with a kind of hopeful defiance, “Sweetheart, you can hear the setting sun sing its song so loud and clear,” like chasing clarity before daylight fades. It’s earnest, melodic, and anthemic.
Midway through, “Inside Her Heart” dials into shimmering introspection. Glistening guitars ripple as Brown delivers a calm but cutting message, “You don’t own her / You can’t control her / She’ll be free to fly.” The track swells as electric layers wrap around the melody, and by the end, soaring backing vocals push it skyward. It’s both gentle and resolute, as it brings heartbreak with backbone.
Closing highlight “Hounds Are All Upon Me” shifts into somber territory. Sparkling guitars flicker against rain-soaked imagery, with streetlights haloed, belongings scattered. Brown’s voice carries resignation, “If nothing was expected, disappointment will never show.” It’s reflective, cinematic, and human.
All told, While Away feels cohesive yet varied, as a songwriter rediscovering his stride and finally nailing the sound he’s been chasing all along.
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Review by: Naomi Joan