I have a couple of confessions to make. Firstly, I wrote some of the brass parts for this song for Sheffield singer-songwriter Nat Johnson – I’m pretty sure that reviewers aren’t supposed to do that sort of thing, but there again, we’ve never been much for doing as we’re told here at Backseat Mafia. The other confession is I’m still rather bewildered about why the aforementioned Nat Johnson isn’t one of our national treasures, because she is certainly one of Sheffield’s.
She has this wonderful, slightly cautious, maybe self conscious beauty about her voice, and is able to write some of the most lovely and affecting songs around, dating back to her days in Monkey Swallows the Universe, through her output with backing band The Figureheads to now, collaborating with people, making solo records, doing what she likes. The latest fruits drops around a month from now in the shape of solo mini album Neighbour of the Year.
I listened to the rough demo’s of Not Now, Horse loads of times. Not because I needed to to concoct the brass parts that adorn the song, that only took me half an hour or so (some might say it sounds like it, I hope not though), or the string parts that drag that little bit extra emotion out of it (they weren’t there, I’m pretty sure) it was just the loveliness of the song, plaintive yet hopeful, pretty yet distant, heartbreaking yet captivating. Just, well, perfect.
Check out the video of Nat singing the song (now in its final, mixed glory even more sparkling) in and around her adoptive city of Sheffield.
Come on world – Catch up and catch onto Nat Johnson. Confession over.
