“Common Sense” was unexpected– I fully expected noise. Before you jump me, I do not mean indiscernible; instead, I thought this was going to be instrument-heavy and use that to convey the message of the song. I also read a beautiful quote on the song from Wessel Oltheten, who described the experience of listening to this song as “looking at a painting made of sound”. I listened to the whole song through and then again, and the volume was disruptive; it was a pleasant surprise.
In “Common Sense”, Nevin speaks on a relationship between two people who are at risk, or are already at the brink of suffocating one another. The song is vulnerable, and the storytelling is unfiltered, yet the delivery of the vocals is very impressive. My favourite part of this song, beyond the production and arrangement that gives every element of the song the room to breathe, is Nevin’s singing, which is genuinely pretty. This song is a departure from her softer sound, and yet, I feel it at times when she holds herself back and when she fully goes for it. If this track is any indication, the artist has range, and I really want to see what other genres she ventures into and with what stories she will tell. Her voice will work there too.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
