TIME MAGAZINE
Ben Preece

“On his second post-Pretty Violet Stain solo outing, Nicholson assembles an impressive record of perfectly-penned and flawlessly-produced tracks, all shiny and ready for radio. The sound created here by Nicholson and co-producer Nash Chambers is essentially mid-paced rock/pop with an ever-so-slight tinge of country that, for want of an unnecessary comparison, lands somewhere between Alex Lloyd and Keith Urban. His vocals, although sombre and relaxed, never tire, instead quickly becoming captivatingly reassuring with Nicholson delivering honest mini-stories which are convincingly autobiographical. First single ‘I Know What You Need’, album opener ‘Safe And Sound’ and ballad ‘Set Me Up’ are all stunners while the Tom Waits cover ‘Big In Japan’ provides a fun point of difference - but it’s the superb ‘Stolen Car’ that’s strikes more than a note or two.”

HERALD SUN
Neala Johnson

“Shane Nicholson records are not for partying. But if you are looking for something once the party's over and a bit of post-midnight navel-gazing sets in, he's your man. Nicholson's songs of regret and confusion let you know you're not alone. Then he flips the coin for songs of love and possibilities to get you through until daybreak. His description of the arrival of an uninhibited love in Set Me Up conveys all the fear and thrill of the unknown, while simple and stark plucking sets an atmospheric stage for I Can Change, a stunning almost-duet with his wife, Kasey Chambers.
In a word: contemplative”

COURIER MAIL
Nicholson's Onside For Hit by Noel Mengel

Shane Nicholson
Faith and Science
Essence/EMI    

SHANE Nicholson has always had the gift for writing insidious pop-rock tunes but the difference with Faith and Science is that this time he's charging up the field, the goal mouth is wide open and the ref says he's onside.

Explanation: his long battle to be heard probably feels to him like a struggle of World Cup qualifying proportions, but at last the flow of the game is going his way.

First single I Know What You Need has won him more airplay than he's ever had. The next, Safe and Sound, with its elegant verse and sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day chorus, should finally score the goal.

Not that Nicholson is a "hit single" kind of artist: his slow-fuse melodies sound best playing off each other in the context of an album, and they've never been better presented than on Faith and Science.

The former Redcliffe boy's debut solo album, It's a Movie, was a bare-bones, low-key kind of record, a reaction to his early years in rock band Pretty Violet Stain.

This time there is sharper contrast in the tones, from gentle melancholy in Home and Acrobat Ache to bright colours and positive vibrations in rock tunes like Always Be On Your Side, which, by the way, sounds even more like a tailor-made radio song than the other two.

And often all the colours are there on the one song, like Set Me Up, which starts in deep blue with just piano for backing and slowly rises up to a feelgood conclusion.

Nicholson has occasionally had to live with Neil Finn comparisons and certainly Set Me Up won't settle that argument, but in general Faith and Science finds a writer confident in his own ability with his most consistently structured set of tunes. Hence the "faith" and "science".

The contrasts in his music mirror the changes in his personal life. Of course, people will be wondering which of these songs might be about his wife, Kasey Chambers. He's not letting on – he's been writing songs long enough to know to just let the mystery be – but you might be off the mark if you think Everybody Loves You Now is one of them.

Listen carefully. With his dry sense of humour, it might be about Shane Nicholson.

The album was co-produced by Nicholson and Nash Chambers, but by his own admission this time he has welcomed outside contributions, with a cast of top-notch players including guitarists Mark Punch and Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil and keys man Clayton Dooley (who contributed a song to the last Whitlams album).

Nicholson still writes a beautiful melancholy ballad – check I Can Change, with its shimmering harmony vocal from Kasey. But when he backs it up with the feelgood throb of the next track, Always Be On Your Side, the effect is even sweeter.

LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR
Nicholson (no, not that Nicholson) stars in his own 'Movie' by L.KentWolgamott

The easy comparison for Shane Nicholson is Neil Finn. But if a reference to the Crowded House / Split Enz singer-songwriter is a little obscure, suffice it to say that Nicholson knows how to craft a song full of downbeat, introspective lyrics and pop hooks, then deliver it with just the right combination of weariness and intensity.

That's certainly the case on "It's a Movie," a well-done disc of folky pop from Nicholson. "It's A Movie," which was released to plenty of fanfare in Australia last year, was produced by Nash Chambers, the brother of alt-country's Kasey Chambers, who provides background vocals on "Designed To Fade".

Most of the songs are personal takes on subjects like isolation and friendship. But Nicholson has some bite, too, penning a wiseass shot at the music industry in the title cut.

Nicholson also deserves some props for having good taste in covers. One of the B-sides on an Aussie single included covers of an Everly Brothers tune and Matthew Sweet's "Sick of Myself." That's a sign of his love of melody that comes through across the record.

There's nothing on "It's a Movie" that comes close to rocking. But that's not the point of the record. This one showcases Nicholson's song writing and slightly worn vocal style and in doing so introduces an artist worth hearing to America.



BOSTON HERALD
Nicholson melds influences for sweet, sad sound : 3/4 stars by Sarah Rodman

This Aussie singer-songwriter should appeal to fans of two highly talented and very different artists from his neck of the bush: fellow Aussie and country vocalist Kasey Chambers and dreamy yet downbeat Kiwi pop crooner Neil Finn of Crowded House.

With the former, Nicholson shares an ability to blur genre lines, as "Movie" cuts from roots and country tunes to hushed folk and shimmery pop. Chambers herself shows up to provide lonesome harmonies on the shuffling rocker "Designed To Fade" and lends Nicholson her producer - and brother - Nash Chambers.

Finn's strong influence - and that of Finn's own role model, Paul McCartney - can be heard in Nicholson's warm, melancholy vocals and assured melodic gifts on songs such as the lilting "The Best Day Of The Year". the pop rocker "Let's Get Started" and the imploring piano balled "Keep It Together."

For fans of music both beautiful and sad, this is a "Movie" worth checking out.



VIRT RECORDS
How the US Label describe "It's A Movie"

Native Australian Shane Nicholson's debut (originally released internationally in 2002) sounds like a great lost Neil Finn record. It might almost be said It's A Movie is a good deal catchier than anything our beloved Mr. Finn has released of late. But as Kasey Chambers, who sings with Nicholson on "Designed To Fade", puts it, "Shane is an incredible songwriter with a beautiful voice." And that in itself supersedes any comparative element, leaving his rich talent as the deciding factor. 

Smooth and tuneful, his primarily acoustic-based songs are passionate and well worded. And while he does accept some help here and there, Nicholson handles the lion's share of the instrumentation - guitars, keys, harmonica and bass - while co-producing with Kasey's brother, Nash. And if two Chambers family members weren't enough, include father Bill on pedal steel too. Nicholson, previously the front man for the highly regarded Aussie band Pretty Violet Stain, provides shimmering passion pop, with rootsy flair, for the sombre new world.



USA TODAY
Album Review by Elysa Gardner (***½)

Singer/songwriter-driven guitar-pop increasingly has become the domain of gracelessly earnest young men who try to pass off whiny navel-gazing as profound artistry. How refreshing, then, to hear this lovely, lyrical solo debut from the front man of the Australian band Pretty Violet Stain.

Nicholson's sweetly rippling tenor and the glowing melodies that drive songs such as Keep It Together and the title track may remind some of Neil Finn. But Nicholson's wry, wistful sensibility is distinctly his own, and he and co-producer Nash Chambers — brother of fellow Aussie minstrel Kasey Chambers, who makes a guest appearance — ensure that this picture sparkles.



THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Album Review by Mario Tarradell (B)

We're in the throes of a confessional male singer-songwriter movement. Look at the mass-appeal success of newcomers John Mayer and Jason Mraz. In the wings are Damien Rice, Gavin Degraw and Josh Kelley. Sensitive guys with guitars and pianos are plentiful.

Enter Australian Shane Nicholson, whose debut solo album, It's a Movie, was co-produced by Nash Chambers, brother of fellow Aussie singer - songwriter Kasey Chambers. Ms. Chambers, best known on the alt-country, coffeehouse rock circuit, lends her haunting twang to the folkie number "Designed to Fade."

Mr. Nicholson, who spent almost a decade fronting Brisbane-based melodic rock group Pretty Violet Stain, works from a stripped-down, folk-pop base. His tunes start as simple, acoustic guitar-and-voice pieces. The intention is to showcase the lyrics, his unadorned yet subtly captivating pipes and the pure melodies. Some embellishments are added – namely strings, electric guitar, upright bass, piano, drums and lap steel – but the uncluttered feel of the music remains.

He's no rocker. The closest he gets to breaking a sweat is on the angst - filled relationship number, "I Wish I Was You (Sometimes)." But Mr. Nicholson can't be classified a balladeer either. He waxes his honest vignettes with bluesy determination, never wallowing in melancholy words. "Life On Mars," essentially a song about isolation, benefits from strings and piano that color, but don't drench, the proceedings.

"Nice To Be Here," with its instantly memorable melody and chorus, turns out to be his strongest bid for radio airplay. Catchy, yet not blatantly so. This is, after all, the guy who wrote, "It's a Movie," a sly, sarcastic ode to the music business. "We've all got fresh hype," he sings, "Metal to soul, funk, rap to rock/And you'll be making room/For every new kid on the block/ It's got to be a movie/'Cause nothing's this unbelievable."

It's a Movie works best when the songs are well-structured and the production values enhance the pieces rather than obliterating them. But on a couple of tracks, Mr. Nicholson loses himself in the mystique of his own verses. "Keep It Together," presumably a tough-love admonishment to a troubled friend, packs in too many images and rhymes to make any cohesive sense. And "Satellite Song," which ends the disc, is one spacey mess.

Confessional singer-songwriters do have outbursts of self-indulgence. Mr. Nicholson keeps his mostly in check, though. On It's a Movie, he shows promise. He may have to get in line for a large audience, given all the others ahead of him, but he does deserve attention.



SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
IN LIKE FINN by Tony Davis

Those who feel Neil Finn no longer sounds enough like the classic FM-friendly Kiwi of yore may have the perfect solution: Shane Nicholson.

This may sound like a backhanded compliment for a very talented young singer and songwriter, but Nicholson doesn't seem perturbed.

"I'm not ashamed of it when people say I sound like Neil Finn", says the Brisbane-born-and-raised Nicholson.

"I love it, it's a great compliment to me. I'm just not quite sure how he feels about it."

Nicholson, the toothpick-thin former frontman for the band Pretty Violent Stain, is now 26 and back with a solo album called It's a Movie.

Co-produced by Nash Chambers, brother of Kasey (who also sings on one track) and son of Bill (who plays lap steel on another), it's a suite of 11 new songs, all penned by Nicholson. They are melodic, mostly downbeat and sound very much like they could have been written and sung by a certain ex-Split Enz guitarist.

"The music I have the earliest recollection of was I Got You by Split Enz", says Nicholson, "that and The Leyland Brothers' theme music. So Finn's singing voice is the first I can remember hearing. But I think a lot of songwriters would be influenced by his song writing. He's a pure genius."

Pretty Violent Stain broke up after recording a famously expensive album in Wales, then failing to be the next big thing.

"I'm trying to be very low key this time, to make the album in a shorter space of time, with local people, and cheaper," says Nicholson.

"I wanted to be a bit more focused on the lyrics and the melodies and not so much on production and performance [and] I wanted something a bit more relaxed, perhaps a little more melancholy, where I wasn't screaming."

Nicholson is softly spoken, articulate, thoughtful and rarely lost for an eloquent explanation of what he is trying to achieve.

In spite of mounting hype from Warner Music, he is fiercely determined to do it his way and seems unfazed by the financial side. Finishing up behind seems to him to be almost the natural order of the universe.

"I've got friends that sold a lot of records and still owe money to their record company. It's the way things go. It costs a lot of money to make a record, and that money is money, and people need to get it back.

"I'm much more interested in making records than I am in selling them. Obviously though, by default that means I need to sell a certain amount to warrant the expense of making another.

"But that's my goal, just to do that."

Nicholson admits that the life of a musician in Australia - and he's been one for a decade - is tough. But he recalls with a smile that he did once have a real job: installing garage doors.

"It was seriously hard work, 72-hour weeks. I've been there - not for too long, I admit - but I know what I don't have to do when I get up in the mornings."

Largely self-taught, Nicholson plays piano, guitar, drums and a bit of harmonica. ("Just in the studio, because we can fix it and make it sound like I know what I'm doing.") He says he is more interested in creating songs than becoming an instrumental virtuoso.

He cites America's Elliott Smith as his favourite current songwriter; there's even a snatch of an Elliott Smith interview on the album.

"I've got to say there's not a lot of new things I listen to a lot. I still enjoy listening to Beatles records and a lot of the older stuff like the Clash."

Then the conversation returns to the Neil Finn similarity. We tried to stay away from it, we really did.

"When we made the album we were very aware of it.

"I can't say I went out of my way not to sound like I always sound, but we were more aware of other elements we could use to steer away from [the similarity]. Things in the arrangements and harmonising to try to make it individual.

"But to be honest I do what I love to do, and if that means it sounds like Paul McCartney or Neil Finn or whatever, I so don't care about it."


ABC DIG
TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2002 by PHIL CULLEN

"The former lead singer for Pretty Violet Stain produces the best album Neil Finn has never recorded. Such comparisons are inevitable as Shane lays down a unique collection of songs that also rival Alex Lloyd's meter as deeply impressive and thoughtful talent. Perfect is that, a pop rock song that lingers longer.

BEAT MAGAZINE
SHANE NICHOLSON
Designed to Fade (EastWest/Warner)

"Pretty Violet Stain frontman goes solo and finds the gentlest, warmest rootsy sound imaginable. He also finds Kasey Chambers and pops her on backing vocals, but thats only a finishing touch on what was already a simple and simply moving song. What makes it, for the most part, are Nicholson's words and the unassuming way he sings them. It's music for music's sake, and it has the power to soothe even the most savage beast. And he even gives a good Matthew Sweet cover on the b-side. Sigh..."


TIMEOFF MAGAZINE
SHANE NICHOLSON
Designed To Fade (EastWest/Warner)

"Warm, relaxed and worthy acoustic stuff from this local singer/songwriter. Co-production from Nash Chambers and backing vocals from sister Kasey sure haven’t hurt none either. From the album It’s A Movie. Includes covers of Matthew Sweet’s ‘Sick of Myself’ (1995) and The Everly Brother’s hit ‘Bye Bye Love’ (1957). "


TIMEOFF MAGAZINE
SILVER SCREEN SONGS by NICK COPPACK

"Forget glossy production and grand orchestral arrangements - Shane Nicholson isn’t having any of it.

"It’s all about the songs," he maintains. "That’s the most important thing."

Nicholson, who many will recognise from his time fronting Brisbane guitar pop group Pretty Violet Stain, is talking up his debut solo album It’s A Movie.

"I didn’t want it to sound like any particular style or have all these trendy sounds on it. By dressing it down I’m hoping to put more of a focus on the song itself. All the records I love are ‘song’ records so that’s what I wanted to try myself - a really simple, honest record."

It’s A Movie is certainly that. Recorded with producer Nash Chambers, the album features 11 acoustically driven cuts that are unmistakably Shane Nicholson. And that’s not to say the songs sound like an unplugged version of Pretty Violet Stain. In fact, as Nicholson explains, that’s exactly what he wants to get away from.

"When you play in a band you have this pre-determined template, a ‘sound’ that just happens when you all get in the same room and play together. If I’d done another record with PVS using the same tunes I’ve recorded here on my solo album, I could have told you exactly how they would have ended up sounding, and that depressed me. I wanted to break out of the mould and start again and recording solo was the perfect vehicle for me to do that."

Despite the rumours, the long period of inactivity, and fellow members of Pretty Violet Stain working on other projects (Halfday, Love Lies Bleeding), Nicholson insists the band hasn’t broken up. Instead, he says they’ve put it in a box underneath the bed, only to be taken out when they’re ready to play.

For now, Nicholson is focused on his solo career and loving the freedom it’s given him to explore new sounds.

"I wanted to build from the first element and work up rather than start with a foundation that already exists. So I brought people in to play on the record who haven’t played together before and it was more of a jigsaw record, put together slowly. It was a fun risk to take."

But while he was surrounded by musicians in the recording studio, life on the road as a solo artist is "pretty lonely".

"I love the freedom of being able to bring in whoever you want when you’re recording, but the downside hits you when you’re touring. You really miss the camaraderie, just having your mates around," he says. "But on a creative level, which is most important to me, it’s pretty liberating and rewarding."

Nicholson’s newfound freedom shines on It’s A Movie, most notably on tracks like ‘The Best Day Of The Year’, ‘Nice To Be Here’, ‘Let’s Get Started,’ ‘Perfect’, and ‘Day In The Sun’. Not surprisingly, Nicholson says writing as a solo artist is much easier as he only has himself to please.

"I’ve always had a clear idea of the direction I want my songs to head in," he says. "Even in PVS I would always write alone, but when you take ideas to a band, they’re bound to change and usually they end up getting shaped into that same comfortable formula you’re used to."

Despite the context of its solo recording, It’s A Movie is sure to appeal to fans of Pretty Violet Stain’s pop/rock. The band’s melodic bent maintains a presence throughout, particularly on the folk/pop of single ‘Designed To Fade’.

"I bought this Bonds T-shirt a while back and the tag on it said ‘designed to fade’," Nicholson says of the song’s genesis. "It struck me as kind of ridiculous that this company was basically saying ‘Don’t send this back to us if it falls apart - it’s meant to’!"

Such a casual observation inspired Nicholson to explore the sentiment further.

"I thought ‘everything’s designed to fade really - including us’," he adds, before explaining further how ideas spring from the world around us.

"Inspiration always comes from people around me; things they say or things they do and the situations they get themselves into. But it’s not like something will happen and I think to myself ‘oh, I really have to write a song about that’.

"I’ll just be messing about with some chords and be in a particular mood, singing a nice melody perhaps. Then it hits you and you remember something that happened recently and wow, you’ve got a song."

He makes it sound so simple, yet when you listen to It’s A Movie you’re almost inclined to believe him - such is the ease with which he delivers each tune. It’s also a record he hopes will lay the foundations for a long and successful solo career.

"I’m glad I made this record the way I did," he says. "Nothing fancy, nothing out of the ordinary; just good old fashioned songs. I don’t think you can ask for anything more than that.""



TIMEOFF MAGAZINE
It's A Movie (East/West/Warner)

"When Pretty Violet Stain went on an ‘extended break’, Shane Nicholson jumped at the opportunity to record and co-produce his first solo effort. And far from being tempted by fancy production methods, Nicholson has presented the songs in a stripped-back and honest format.

From start to finish, It’s A Movie plays more like a campfire acoustic sing-a-long than a record slaved over for months. First single ‘Designed To Fade’ is already familiar to many and with Nicholson’s knack for hooky vocal melodies, it shouldn’t be long before other tunes such as ‘Perfect’, ‘The Best Day Of The Year’, and the album’s title track find welcome ears.

Nicholson’s lyrics are cryptic without being too obscure, and his vocals gravely without being grating. Perhaps an occasional move away from the standard singer/songwriter style would command more attention, but at the end of the day, Nicholson has focused on his strengths and released a solid album that deserves more than an occasional listen."



BEAT MAGAZINE
Shane Nicholson Interview by Sarah Ortenzio

"You may have noticed this singer/songwriter in Beat a few weeks back - his debut single, Designed To Fade was appropriately selected Single Of The Week. The release of his new album, It’s a Movie, is set to intently tug on your heart strings and imbed itself gently in your psyche. If you have not yet heard his beautifully poignant debut single, or indeed, do not yet know of Shane Nicholson, consider this your calling"

Spending ten years with Brisbane based band, Pretty Violet Stain, provides the perfect backdrop for this composed solo artist. The band formed at school as a result of their collective detestation of sport and over the span of a decade, supported the likes of Alex Lloyd and The Dandy Warhols as well as releasing a few CDs. "Going solo was so gradual; we never sat down and decided to part for any reason." Shane explains. "We’d been together for so long and I think we all new that we were ready for something different. I was writing a bunch of different songs while we were on tour and they didn’t seem to fit what we were doing at the time. I got so excited by the prospects of writing myself, and the band slowly faded - not touring as much - so I thought I’d see what I could do in the down time."

Shane started recording this album three times before he finally settled with Nash Chambers as a producer. "I had to see through trial and error what I really wanted and eventually got the confidence to stop looking for a producer that I thought could change it into something better, but rather, for someone to enhance what was there - that’s why Nash came in." And so, fourth time lucky, Nash Chambers produced an album that was true to the heart and soul of Shane Nicholson. Wanting to break away from the Country association, Nash was reluctant to place any elements of that genre into Shane’s music. "I had to fight for those parts." Shane recalls with a smile. "Nash argued that people would say it was his influence, but I really wanted some of those folk/country instruments as part of my album." Despite the inevitable arguments, Nash and Shane ultimately complimented each other brilliantly. "He works simply." Shane says of Nash. "He thinks the first time you do something, it’s the best because it’s true and it’s raw. I tend to sit there and want to perfect things, so we argued a lot but eventually found our middle ground. He really taught me not to worry and think so much about it and just let the song guide you."

"We really didn’t work towards - does it fit here, will it get played on radio - we just didn’t really care. I learned so much from being able to sit back and say, ‘fuck it’ and just enjoy it, and really let the songs be the guide. I’ve learned a process of not trying to perfect something against the sound in your head, but more letting the song itself dictate how to do it. You always have a picture in your mind, but this was the first time I let the original picture get bent and twisted by the song rather than the other way around."

Listening closely to Designed To Fade will reveal another member of the Chamber’s family. Kasey makes a beautiful appearance, providing sinuous backing vocals that further instil an unlikely balance of melancholy and hope. It’s a Movie is so honest and unpretentious that it immediately collides with an emotional impact, rather than an auditory explosion. "I don’t think it’s eclectic at all." Shane modestly states, despite the reviews the album has already received. "It’s very simple, and very basic - the focus is on the lyrics. I wanted to get away form that whole mindset of trying to get it on radio and marketing it." Ah yes, there is nothing more admirable then an artist creating music in its purest form. Bring back these artists that speak not of fame and fortune! Shane speaks softly, but his words overflow with integrity. "I’m quite happy for this album to not sell anything until people have heard the third one and then go back and find it. I’m cool with that because I’m happy to make records rather th en sell records - that means more to me."

However, this does beg the question of the purpose behind his music. Doesn’t he have some kind of outlook for the release of the album? "I’m not worried if it does well or not because for me it’s already served it’s purpose. It’s quite a cathartic process and I’ve learned a lot from it - so for me - the record has already been successful." Consider then, It’s a Movie, as a journal your closest friend is allowing you to read. "It is kinda like putting a soundtrack to your diary." Shane agrees. "It’s a diary of my life in the past year, and in that respect, the album is rather simple. It doesn’t necessarily have a set style/sound." So what is Shane’s definition of amazing music? "Something that affects you and you don’t even know why. You just feel it."