Nicole Cassandra Smit caught my attention in late 2021, a track called ‘Strong Woman’ popped up out of thin air (you know how it is when you hunt around the internet for new sounds, I cannot remember where it appeared, most likely a radio show or an algorithm offering me something I might like) and the appeal was instant. A funky soul-style hook and a voice with confidence, poise and control in equal measure. One of those occasions where I playlist a track immediately and make a note of the name as one to keep an ear out for. So, when I saw in 2022 that an LP called ‘Third In Line’ was in the pipeline it had to be checked out and wow, this one certainly did not disappoint.

I love it when an artist is at this stage, when they are still a bit mysterious and there is a lack of obvious signposting in the music as to the path they may end up travelling. This is especially true of Nicole, I mean last year I probably thought she was a purveyor of fresh sounding modern soul with a nice vintage, analogue edge. While this is not way off the mark, the opening track on this record immediately throws a whole heap of other ingredients into the melting pot. ‘Wolves’ is a big sounding production job, it has an almost James Bond like drama to it, with its cinematic strings and rousing movements. Vocally, Nicole is proving from the word go that she has the pipes to own this kind of material and as a pot-boiling starter on a debut album, well this should guarantee that anyone with functioning ears continues to listen.

The thing that is mouth watering to the extreme is the massive pallet of musical references that Nicole creates from. ‘Lily Of The Valley’ swings from tree to tree in a forest of sound with horns that reflect early jazz and sensational Afrobeat rhythms. ‘Sundown’ has a rap interlude and strings that aptly conjure visions of the orange glow of the songs title. At times she lets her soulful instincts take the reins, but you can hear in these vocals that the influences run deep and wide; there are hints of the blues when Nicole intones passion and pain and the arrangements are rising out of modern pop-soul and innovative jazz in equal amounts. Then you are slapped in the face by a funky track like ‘Quest’ which pours all those styles into one irresistible mix as a clearer future comes into focus. So, in summary, a stunning debut album from a singer with an authentic voice capable of propelling her to places few can reach and a vision that suggests a panorama of endless possibilities. Get on the Nicole Cassandra Smit journey now, at the bottom step of the ladder, for soon she may be out of reach.

Check out more about Nicole Cassandra Smit here: https://nicolecassandrasmit.bandcamp.com/album/third-in-line