Washington DC musician Nick Hakim unveils new single ‘Happen’, a first taste of upcoming LP, ‘Cometa’, inspired by the artist’s South American heritage.
His first release since last year’s collaborative EP with Roy Nathanson, ‘Happen’ is a veritable soup of textural satisfaction; jangling piano offsets a trudging guitar and rhythm section, soft and hard panning between left and right, adding intriguing layered effects. With echoes of Jeff Buckley’s alternative-rock, Nick Hakim blends a folky lament with an unfiltered blues sound, held together by the soft and husky croon of ‘Let it happen, let it happen’ ringing out over soft-strummed guitar.
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Directed by Johan Carlsson, the accompanying video was built around the concept of “sonder,” the profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life with experiences and emotions as vivid and complex as one’s own. ‘Happen’ sees a slow motion one-shot as the focus pans to various people sharing a train car.
Hakim’s LP ‘Cometa’, which lands October 21st, is Spanish for the word ‘kite’, an ode to his parents who came to the states as immigrants.
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Words: Oshen Douglas-McCormick
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