I have always been a fan of Nahko And Medicine For The People. Their raw, upbeat rhythm flows out of my speakers like a waterfall and their stripped-down lyrics grow a world around me. Each song recites a story in the native tongue of vagabonds struggling to settle into a spiritual home.
Their lyrical stories address world issues and pump hope into the wind. With expressive odes to the planet, Nahko And Medicine For The People echo our changing world with reflection and gratitude. By fearlessly incorporating conversational elements into each album, their humanity shines through every ballad, further connecting the listener to the song’s heartbeat.
The pulse of their rhythm and reverberation of their fervent narratives make them truly unique — or at least it did. In February, the band released their new single “Twisted,” about self-love. While the message is inspiring, their signature grit is lost. They replaced their unique soul sound, their original style used to help me escape, with the overplayed, auto-tuned pop style. The repetitive lyrics lack the complexity that flooded their past tracks, leaving us with a shell of a song more reminiscent of Maroon 5 than storytellers like Bob Dylan. Don’t get me wrong, the song is catchy, but I just expected to catch more.
This song is part of their upcoming album, Take Your Power Back, that should be released on May 15, 2020. It is my hope that this song does not define the album. Hopefully, they will own their original sound instead of creating more pop-culture copies to gain streams.
