Scout Niblett
Kidnapped by Neptune

At the age of 20, I’ve already acquired bad hearing. When holding a conversation, I’m usually forced to say “What?” over and over again, unable to pick up the subtle vocal deviations that distinguish one word from another. Repetition helps some, but, I’ve actually found that words, when repeated enough times, tumble into one another and become even more indiscernible to my weak ears. Even more problematic is that many of my friends just get annoyed and stop repeating their statements after a while, thinking that my hearing that one statement is not all that important to the conversation as a whole.

Perhaps my weak ears are the reason why Scout Niblett’s music appeals so much to me. Though her croon is soft, every word can be heard with complete clarity. The sparse guitar pickings and unobtrusive drumbeats, rather than distorting Niblett’s words, add emphasis where needed and makes a line, though repeated, sound completely different.

More than that, Niblett is aware of the odd quirks of sounds and often uses her voice in shoop’s and oh’s to create beats and harmonies to add layers to her already very simplistic instrumentation. “Fuck Treasure Island” features only drums and Niblett’s voice, in an attempt to prove that guitars, basses, and fancy wind instruments are not necessary to create a harmony. Though Niblett’s voice does fill some of gaps left by the lack of strings, “Fuck Treasure Island,” without the sliding chords that usually accompany and follow Niblett’s voice, ultimately comes off as a bit hollow sounding.

“Pompoms,” on the other hand, shows her at her best by containing some of the most simplistic, yet heartfelt lyrics. When Niblett sings, “please, please, please send her along to cheer me on, cheer me up, cheer me on,” her voice becomes completely entrancing. The song is pretty much a repetition of that plea, but each repetition changes with a transition in drumbeats or the volume of the muted guitar strums.

“Safety Pants,” also features this type of repetition, filled with Niblett’s croons of “Come on, honey, what are you doing to me?” until the words seem to lose all meaning. Words that were once very familiar suddenly become very alien as Niblett poses the same question over and over again, not changing her voice, only varying the instrumentation backing it. And, though repetition might be boring to some, this unchanging question remains in my mind, telling me that Scout Niblett has something to say, and she’ll be damned if bad ears are going to stop her from being heard. – Natalie Tsu