The Writings She Hides: A Review of Nicola Hitchcock’s “a Bowl of Chalk”

From the late 1990’s to the year of their demise in 2001, Nicola (pronounced Nic-a-lah, not Nick-ola) Hitchcock was probably best known as the lead lyricist and vocalist of the trip-hop duo Mandalay, alongside Saul Freeman. For the most part, this remains her claim to fame to date. Before this rise and fall, however, Hitchcock had been one of music’s rising stars since 1993 when she released her first solo album, A Bowl of Chalk.

Nicola Hitchcock is of entertainment DNA: her mother was an actress before starting a family and her father, a natural musician, worked as a drummer in a jazz band on weekends alongside an additional career as a television scriptwriter, director, and producer. Hitchcock’s own love of music blossomed as a child after her parents divorced. To pass the time on long car journeys between households, she and her sisters would create rhymes and songs. Soon thereafter, upon receiving a guitar for her 9th birthday, she found she could disappear into her room for hours quite happily as her musical creativity evolved. Her early influences included, Carole King, the Beatles, and Detroit’s trademark “Motown Sound.” To some extent, all of these appear on this brilliant debut. It began when she was signed to F-Beat/Demon Records on the strength of some early demos written while in her early twenties.

It must be said, Hitchcock’s talent, while obvious, might leave a yearning for something more for those used to a more mainstream sound. Even those who loved her work with Mandalay might be surprised at how much more acoustic and pared-down Bowl of Chalk is. These acoustics are mixed in with some electronic loops here and there, but in a very unique fashion: think characteristics of Motown, folk, soft rock and easy listening with a touch of alternative, all fused to create all-new category. Undoubtedly, this is aided by the emotional impact of Hitchcock’s signature vibrato-rich vocals.

Of the 12-tracks appearing on Bowl of Chalk, the overall atmosphere of every one of them is in some way carried by acoustic guitar harmonies. Songs such as Writings I Hide, What You See is What You Get, and Strange Times succeed in delivering such melodies with exceptional prowess. Writings I Hide in particular evolves into an especially ethereal tune as piano and orchestral strings weave their way in and out through Hitchcock’s expression of the inquisitive lyrics, allusive of what appears to be unspoken words amidst the devastation of a relationship. It is a melody that is slow and graceful.

Another stand-out track is My Mistake, a self-explanatory title, suggestive of a subject matter most people can relate to. More importantly, however, is that Hitchcock portrays it so well. Nowhere will you find the cliché teen love triangle or the unimaginative themes of “I loved you so much and you hurt me so bad…” Instead, the role of imagination and metaphor runs deep through a soundscape of layered piano and guitar arpeggios. As the lyrics say, “It’s summer through the drum beats in vain…” Similarly, Saddest Day provides introspective and longing stanzas, against a sound so vibrant it is nearly spiritual… and stays with you.

Queen of the Blues is also a powerful, emotionally-charged song, featuring Nick Conti (of David Bowie’s band) on drums to accompany a series of intricate guitar renderings. Again (this can’t be said enough), Hitchcock’s voice is the major highlight, and if you’re familiar with her sound, you’ll know what I mean. I’ve yet to see another vocalist whose stylings are so chilling – almost desperately trembling at times – and yet so calm and warmly overtoned all the same. It’s a contradiction, for sure, but a very effective one.

All of this is sandwiched in between two more winners. Slightly more energetic and relying more on a rhythmical tone than a lyrical one is the opening track, Pick Up Your Coat, which provides a nice sampling for what is to come. The closing track, Maire (recognized by Nicola herself as the personal favorite next to Writings I Hide), the most traditional folk-sounding song on the entire record, is characterized by the expert use of drums, whistles, and guitars bring the rigors of nature into the picture, creating the sound thunder midway through the ballad. It’s the perfect end to wrap up all we’ve heard and the slower tempo and slightly sparser arrangements bring the album to a gentle close.

What little publicity this record received was positive. Colin Irwin of Folk Roots gave Bowl of Chalk some very critical acclaim: “There’s something indefinably magical in her delivery and in the very human troubled personal conflicts in her exceptional lyrics… a remarkable debut.”

Unfortunately the gentlemen who signed Nicola to F-Beat/Demon left the record company shortly after Bowl of Chalk’s release. The label folded, giving the album barely a chance to be heard. This is a real shame. We hear so much about the newest so-called sensation who supposedly writes her own songs and plays her own instruments and are more often than not met with giddy young adult singing nothing but a plethora of cliche-infested words (weakly linked, even if self-penned) regarding love. Years before such a scene in the music industry was even the “in” thing, Nicola Hitchcock had written all twelve songs on her debut album, is heard playing guitar, whistle, accordion, and hand drum, and singing her own deeply felt words with every ounce of emotion she has. While her thoughts are not so uncommon average folk, they’re presented in a way that is original but not so vague as to detract from our ability to be on the same page.

Nicola Hitchcock is a remarkable artist – one of those valuable gems of the music industry. Although she hasn’t been terribly active in the recent years since her last studio release in 2005, she still remains one of the few musicians that fans can always anticipate material that is erudite, sentimental, alluring and a even a little on the anomalous side (which I mean in a most complimentary way). In silence or productivity, Nicola will always be one to watch for.

Bowl of Chalk occasionally appears as a used item on E-Bay or Amazon.Com, but the best place to find it is on MusicStack, a user-based online warehouse for second-hand albums and other music memorabilia.

Track Listing:

1. Pick Up Your Coat (3:16)

2. My Mistake (3:59)

3. Surf on Shingle (3:00)

4. Saddest Day (3:24)

5. Writings I Hide (3:28)

6. Down to the Station (3:49)

7. What You See is What You Get (4:35)

8. How Do You Feel (4:38)

9. Strange Times (3:47)

10. Queen of the Blues (3:27)

11. Where Are We Now (3:09)

12. Maire (4:35)

Additional Information:

Sample the entire album on Last.Fm

Nicola Hitchcock’s Official Website

Nicola Hitchcock’s MySpace

Nicola Hitchcock’s ReverbNation profile