Enter Now Brightness

Nadia Reids fourth album followed its predecessor, 2020s Out of My Province, after a five-year period that included some major transitions for the singer/songwriter. Not only did she become a mother for the first time, but she relocated from her native New Zealand to Manchester, U.K. and gave birth to her second child in 2023. Themes surrounding change feature heavily on the warm and warmhearted Enter Now Brightness, which also marks her move to Chrysalis Records. After opening with the affectionate, banjo-inflected "Emmanuelle," a song that defends taking ones time, Reid adopts a midtempo, 70s soft rock vibe on "Cry on Cue" that goes on to reappear throughout the album. Its shimmery organ and keys, declarative melody, and only lightly skittering, marching rhythms speak from a place of confidence in love. She employs crunchier rock timbres in tandem with glistening synths on songs including "Changed Unchained," a track that remains rooted in introspection and affection as it reflects on transformations, including the sound of her music. The album was engineered and produced by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, Shes So Rad), who was also part of her four-piece backing band and who helped give these self-assured songs a sturdy, serene footing reinforced by pedal steel and various keys. Far from some of the wounded and at times traumatized albums that have emerged from the early 2020s, Enter Now Brightness is not only a title but a philosophy on an elegant set of songs that find Reid adapting just fine, thanks, at least with the help of treasured loved ones and music itself. ~ Marcy Donelson