Album Review: Nikhita – Solace EP

Nikhita is an Edinburg-based artist with an EP set to release on April 4th, 2024. The five-song EP, Solace, has with it the feeling you might have sitting inside a cozy Scottish cafe, with cool overcast weather and light rain. Maybe you’re sitting in a leather chair, reading or journaling, with a hot toddy within reach. This EP is warm like your father’s favorite Scotch.

Here is our review:

“Lake Karachay” – The album opens very atmospherically, with echoing vocals. It is gentle and peaceful like it could be a distant cousin of Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky.” When the beat does come in, it is a light snare and cymbal. The song closes with a sound bath of her ethereal vocals and floating synth pads. 

“Insurance” – The second song has a downtempo RnB guitar intro, with a similar pulsing beat shortly following. Her voice follows in gently, picks up an octave, and then dances around the instrumentals with a pleasing precision. 

“Cleopatra” – This song opens with a few simple chords strumming on the guitar with her vocals ensuite. Another light percussion, with brilliant use of cymbal to decorate her very pretty singing voice, which layers itself many times over with angelic harmonies. 

Now over halfway through Solace, It is clear the music has a lo-fi quality, which can be difficult to achieve with lyrics, melodies, and beat changes. But for some reason, Nikhita is able to achieve this simple flow-state-inducing quality with her work.

“Chamomile Clouds” – The song begins with another relaxing guitar-plucking riff and Nikhita’s soft poetry comes through. Her voice feels like a butterfly delicately fluttering above a field of flowers, landing on the simple instruments that serve as the vehicle to showcase her voice.

“Golden Child (Live)” – Keeping a cohesive theme with this peaceful downtempo vibe. A casual listener may think this live recording is an unreleased Billie Eilish track. Nikhita has a level of beauty and control in her voice, that could hold large audiences down the road.

All in all, Nikhita’s first EP is a great listen. Her singing voice washes over you like a delicious lo-fi track. We at Indy Review hope you’ll give it a listen when it releases on April 4th. Here one of the tracks from the EP here.