Having enjoyed local slacker twang band Nature Kids enjoyable and creative live show a few times (with a turn with a saw and violin bow a speciality), I’ve been looking forward to hearing their eponymous debut album for a while now.

For those unfamiliar with Nature Kids, they are Rory Welbrock, Eve Creighton, Shaene Hunter, James Ridgway and Tristan Myatt. Gigs are relaxed wholesome affairs, with a solid quality slacker rock style and tunes to tap a toe to.

These 3 boys, 2 girls give a happy safe inclusive feel to your evening. Nature Kids have been performing since 2022, and much hangs from the band’s gentle introspective lyrics. The Nature Kids debut album unsurprisingly contains many of the live set standards.

Opening track Nothing At All gives more a feel for those organic poetical words. The song seems to relate to placing our natural beauty and resource back to our core, over possessions and achievement.

Breathe in the daylight and bathe in the love

The wonder in an ocean horizon

Dappled sun comes from the canopy top

They saw heaven from waking eyes and

Cobwebs catch the dawns tear drops

Keep drinking from that spider fountain

While dandelions turn time and make nice wine

The breath that blows

The seeds to be sowed

There are a myriad of terms for music these days, and I like the idea of slacker twang or slacker country.

Musically I get vibes which veer towards the likes of Tom Petty, Elliot Smith or Brown Horse.

Other stand out tracks for me include Lamplight, where I enjoy the complexity of the rhythm behind the simple sounding gentle flow of the vocals.

Slow Grower does what it says on the tin; that gentle soft little tune brings a smile to my face each time it comes into my ears. Again, there are more little tweaks and swirls built into this beautiful thoughtful song.

Overall, there’s a good variety of sounds in this album. Producer Jamie Lockhart (and from the band Mi Mye) was clearly a sympathetic ear with his own sense of storytelling and melody. The album as a result is a gentle, thoughful clever slow burner.

A very solid debut album.

* words by tiggerligger.

* images from the band’s socials (apart from the live one I took in Leeds)