Nerys John (The Beautiful Darkness) – Victim (single review).
Nerys John is a musician from Ross-on-Wye and has hit the music scene as The Beautiful Darkness. With a refined voice she appears to have the ability to cross genres but, for now, and ahead of an album release Nerys has released a single, Victim, a bit of pop-rock.
“Inspired by the artistry of Suede, the emotion of Skunk Anansie, and the passion of The Cranberries, The Beautiful Darkness almost defies genre, think ‘Kate Bush meets grunge, with guitars courtesy of the eponymous ‘’Zombie’’ by the Cranberries’. Herself a survivor of narcissistic abuse, Nerys John has struggled free from its bonds, determined not to remain a victim. While her songwriting continues to develop, her debut single, Victim, was “born out of darkness” yet with a mission to turn the pain of that dark place into something meaningful and beautiful. It outlines her lived experience, raises the issue of victim-blaming and shaming, ends the silence of compliance and acknowledges the victimisation, ultimately holding the perpetrator to account. Released on the final day of “No More Week”, Nerys dedicates it to others who have suffered at the hands of their abusers.”
This is not an easy sound to pigeon-hole, pop-rock I suppose would do it although the sound is quite ‘Cranberries-ish’ and it’s not an easy subject to listen to particularly given the very nature of it. The single is actually very good and seemingly very personal, a bit light for me I’ll admit, I’d like to hear the background guitars ramped up a bit, with more bass to take it firmly into the rock genre – and the song has that capability and versatility I think. Having said that most of her songs are a little lighter in sound, if not subject matter, and Nerys does put her heart into her music and this song is no exception.
You can listen to the song on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7EnaA8j7OnnK795AUvDElo?si=wfe0kq6CRcerEz6LjW4sQA&context=spotify%3Aartist%3A1AtuVRvLQYv1c0ZK4rhJPE
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/nerys.j.john
https://www.facebook.com/thebeautifuldarknessmusic
