Sometimes, it feels like romantic love isn’t worth anything, especially when you’re not getting what you want out of the relationship. When this happens, you’re torn between wanting to stay with that person and wanting to leave. Toronto, Ontario rock artist Nice Vice captures this ambivalence in his new single, “Dust”.
The track opens with a bluesy electric guitar riff that immediately captures your attention. Then, Nice Vice’s somber and earnest vocals come in as he sings about walking on eggshells in a relationship and not wanting it to implode.
By the time the chorus kicks in, the vocals are passionate, and the guitar riffs are, too. They match the intensity of the lyrics as the singer discusses wanting to leave but being resigned to stay for the sake of their lover.
“Would you think that I was lying if I said I ain’t needing it
I could leave ya and believe me when I say that I’m thinking it
Now I’m in your bed had a cigarette and we’re talking and doing it all again
I’m a lover undercover but I do it for you
I do it for you, cause you wanted me to
I do it for you”
In fact, the singer confirms that the song is about a complicated relationship. “In my head the sound of the song was happy and light, but the lyrics came out the opposite. I ended up writing the lyrics from the perspective of someone who felt they had no choice but to leave their toxic relationship. I don’t know why it went there but it turned out to be beautiful.
At the next verse, the somber vocals come in again with a sense of determined calm before rising to the passionate tones again. This evokes the image of the singer trying to reason with their lover before ending up in a loud argument with them.
As a result, the chorus is given deeper meaning as it comes in again. Punctuated by guitar riffs that seem to cut into the listener, the chorus feels like an ultimatum to the lover addressed in the song that says, “I will leave you anytime I want to.” This resolve erupts into a stunning guitar solo that leads into the song’s closing verses.
Nice Vice is an exciting up-and-coming artist out to Toronto, Canada. Growing up in the city under a heavy influence of The Tragically Hip, Pearl Jam, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few, the 90’s hold the tightest grip on Nice Vice’s musical inspirations.
With his debut full length album set to come out in July 2023, the second single titled “Dust” gives us an exciting glimpse of what’s to come. Prior to this, the first single “Regrets and Cigarettes” gave us a funky rock n’ roll track dedicated to those trying to work towards their dreams.
