Album Review: Syncopate

Coromandel Peninsula’s Nur Peach is fresh off a bachelor’s degree in Pop Music and is immediately “gathering momentum” to realize her dream of releasing an album. Syncopate is an eclectic pop-folk and adult contemporary record full of motivational coming-of-age material, produced in collaboration with Auckland’s Scott Seabright.

Nur’s voice is deep and warm, with a subtle natural vibrato that sells her lyrics to a theatrical degree on opener This Is Home. All about finding where to fit in, this concept of belonging is on full display across Syncopate, a record largely covering the artist’s first year at university. Offbeat tackles it with a relentlessly positive vibe, all about dancing to the beat of your own drum. Whilst the lyrics can be somewhat on the nose at times, the sense of community and self-love makes the track a lot of fun, and the joy in Peach’s delivery makes it impossible to listen without smiling. Similarly, the promise that happiness will find you in Happy Songs burns bright because the message is so earnest. This song’s instrumental focuses on sparse, moody pianos, but there is pure hope in every smart little melody.

Many tracks show off Nur Peach’s natural ability to write a slick, catchy hook. The stacked vocals and subtle electropop elements on Rainfall work to explosive effect. “I’ll be on my way”, she croons in an airy falsetto, looping in the background and sticking in the listener’s mind for hours. This song’s massive instrumental drop packs a real punch, and to the same effect, makes the song’s gentler moments feel all the more raw. Cover to Cover also glitters with this more electronic style. The punchy drums and bright synths bring out the chorus’s danceability, especially thanks to its swooping post-chorus tag.

There’s a clear awareness of musical history across each song on Syncopate. It’s most clear on Hearts Wide Open, a waltzing ballad detailed with gentle guitar licks and string elements. This more timeless sound is what really makes Nur’s songwriting shine. “Someday I may have to leave, but right now we’re all here together,” she smiles, not mourning what time will take from her, but celebrating how special it makes the present. The heavily layered choral effect on the final chorus drives the message fully home, as if all of Nur’s closest friends and family are there to back her up.

Notably, the album’s tracklisting also works well to gradually build energy and emotion, all leading up to the romantic promise of Lovers and Leavers. This is a song reminding Nur’s listeners they are never alone, thanks to the power of love and music. It’s at first an intimate, dreamy tune, reminiscent of a song that would play as a particularly profound film’s credits roll. But it expands into an incredibly expressive finale where Nur’s voice shudders with an emotional intensity that truly stays with you.

There is clear intent in every detail across Syncopate, and that is the mark of a true artist who cares deeply about how the music comes across. Syncopate is a thrilling accomplishment from a local singer-songwriter whose music is perfect for those who need a dose of good vibes, and a reminder that like Nur Peach, they can achieve anything they set their minds to.