SINGLE REVIEW | NICK SHANE & PETER WATTERS | THE OTHERSIDE

Nick Shane and Peter Watters are two well-known names around the Dundee gig circuit and, with 8 albums between the pair, there is certainly no shortage of experience between them. Having been gigging together for years, it is a surprise that it has taken this long for them to collaborate, but the time is now and the pair have finally joined forces in their new single, “The Otherside”.

Beginning with Nick Shane’s signature raspy vocal, this country influenced song of hope kicks off in style. With drummer Ryan Shepherd providing an inspiring groove like he has done on previous Peter Watters records, there is an immediate sense of familiarity and flair. In the build-up to the chorus lies one of the tracks beautiful subtleties, with the acoustic guitar melody being strongly reminiscent of the George Harrison penned “Here Comes the Sun”. This guitar part offers a nice bit of space between the two sections of the song and is a breath of fresh air that leaves the listener in high spirits before the chorus hits.

The chorus is bright and catchy, with lyrics such as “Be the one to take away my fears, be the one who’s there to dry my tears” complementing the theme of optimistic despair that runs throughout. The track is pretty chorus heavy, and towards the end of the first chorus it risked running out of flavour early on. At this point, I was beginning to wonder where the energy was going to come from, a worry that was quickly shot down by the vocals of Peter Watters, who’s lively delivery instantly freshened things up.

Musically, “The Otherside”, certainly doesn’t break any boundaries, nor does it try to. There is a certain light-heartedness about this track that prevents it from being too predictable and gives it a largely endearing quality. It has the liveliness that a collaboration between two long-time friends should, making for a fun and vibrant listen with a hope there is more to come from the songwriting duo.