Album Review: (self titled) by Nate Manic
Album Review: Nate Manic – (self titled)
May 24, 2021
Elise Mills
Nate Manic is “purveying all sorts of questionable decisions” on his newly released debut album under the Quaint But Extra label.
(self titled) by Nate Manic
Previously the Music Director and Talent Buyer for Smartbar in Chicago, Nate Manic is reentering the music world as an incredible vocalist and songwriter as well as a talented producer.
Previously the Music Director and Talent Buyer for Smartbar in Chicago, Nate Manic is reentering the music world as an incredible vocalist and songwriter as well as a talented producer. Now based in Oakland, Nate Manic is “purveying all sorts of questionable decisions” on his newly released debut album under the Quaint But Extra label. There’s everything from soul, breaks, acid, house, to techno here – he’s managed to bend some rules and assemble a distinctive, truly eclectic dance album that keeps us guessing (and growing) with him the entire way.
Produced, arranged and performed all on his own, this album is a bold declaration of self. If you’re someone who pays attention to lyrics, Manic is in no short supply of them. He grapples with different kinds of self recovery and release, sometimes seriously and other times cheekily, but Manic says it best: “It is intertwined with layers of vocal harmonies, 303 lines, deep grooves and topics ranging from self-love to total heartbreak, joyous coitus to the end of innocence, hope, closure, defiance and midnight pleas for inner peace.”
I was immediately struck by Nate Manic’s luxuriating voice and the phenomenal production quality on the first track “Exit Strategy,” making it my favorite track. On a macro level, the album just feels really good, even when it's tinged with a bittersweetness about the past. Manic seems to have no trouble nonchalantly negotiating the introspective space and the dancefloor, while never sacrificing authenticity or fun in the process. This is definitely a rad album, and one you don’t want to miss.
Be sure to check out and purchase the full album on Bandcamp. Support local artists, always!
Elise is a recovering 2020 graduate, sound artist, and noise lover born and raised in San Francisco. Especially interested in the metaphysicality of sound, she spends her time attempting to prototype DIY synthesizers and experimenting with (and lamenting!) the whims of magnetic tape, among other experimental electronic projects.