We first heard from Nils Wandrey in February of this year when he launched an ambitious new endeavor. The songwriter committed himself to write, produce and release a new single every week. The project started with the upbeat track “Become Who I Am.” With that song Nils introduced his remarkable talent for composing infectiously catchy Pop/Rockers which embrace a ‘carpe diem’ view of life.
Well, it is roughly 12 weeks later and it turns out that Nils Wandrey is a man of his word. Since that first single he has released a slew of new tracks. Now he has packaged them all up into the new “Become Who I Am” album. Thanks to the unique manner in which it was created, the album is a fascinating and very personal snapshot of this historic moment in which we are living. And thanks to Nils Wandrey’s sizable talents, it is a great record.
“Become Who I Am” was released worldwide to all major streaming services on Wednesday May 26, 2021. The record opens with the title track. With its motivational message and radio-ready sheen, the song sets the mood. What follows are eleven songs that lyrically examine the state of one man’s life as he looks around at a world that is bruised but not broken. As we rise from the ashes of 2020, people everywhere are reassessing their priorities and adjusting their goals to suit them. Nils is too, and he’s writing the soundtrack to his adventure as it unfolds.
Throughout the album the singer explores themes of renewal and reinvention. On tracks like the bluesy “You Can Save the World Another Day,” the Beatles-meets-Country “Leave it On My Mirror” and the inspirational “Fly,” he offers philosophical advice on letting go of the anxiety caused by a crazy world. He looks deep into his own psyche to both understand the past and reinvent the future on the retrospective “Memories” and the power ballad “Rain.” The latter has some particularly poetic moments with lines like, “The ghosts of my past crawl beneath my skin.”
For every moment of introspection on the record there is another equally powerful piece of fist-pumping inspirational Pop/Rock. From the self-affirming title track to the motivational rocker “Gotta Make it Worth It” the singer strikes the perfect balance between optimism and realism. It is a message uniquely appropriate for this bizarre moment on our little blue marble.
Musically Nils Wandrey blends multiple genres from across the decades of popular music into a timeless Pop/Rock groove. He incorporates Reggae vibes (“This Time We Get it Right”), 80’s Rock (“All in All”) and 90’s Pop/Punk/Ska (“I Don’t Wanna Know”). He gets a little psychedelic on the touching love song “Gravity,” and injects plenty of Classic Rock inspired Blues/Rock guitar all over the record.
Nils Wandrey is an accomplished musician who has toured the world many times over. He has played small clubs and massive arenas with his own bands and in support of international Rock stars. And just like the rest of us, he survived the worst year in modern memory. On “Become Who I Am” he responds to that experience with a powerful message of hope, determination and realism, set to some excellent Rock & Roll.
Check out the cool and trippy “Gravity” video below and dig into the entire album on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear “You Can Save The World Another Day” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist and “Rain” on the Deep Indie Songwriters. Follow the links below to connect with Nils. Get on his socials and get in the loop on all of the current and future projects from this deeply talented songwriter and musician.
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