Nieve Ella – ‘How Long Will It Take?’ review: coming to terms with the messiness of growing up

Earlier this summer, Nieve Ella told NME that while she was initially unsure what to centre her highly anticipated debut album around, one thing was certain: it needed to “sound like a massive fucking theatre piece” that caught even her most devoted fans off guard. The alt-pop star has certainly achieved her goal with the spellbinding ‘How Long Will It Take?’, where she captures the exhaustion of navigating modern life and comes to terms with the messiness of growing up. READ MORE: On The Cover: Nieve Ella just wants to have fun Through a blend of hazy, indie-drenched melodies, tender lyricism and gritty guitar riffs, Ella strikes a compelling balance between vulnerability and creative fearlessness. She leans into her most personal songwriting to date, but also uses this soul-bearing approach to throw caution to the wind and take more brazen risks than ever. Perhaps exemplifying this best are back-to-back tracks ‘I’m Not Dead’ and ‘Back To Basics’; each striking a balance between insightful, tender lyricism – “Living is the answer / I don’t need it all figured out”, she sings on the former – yet simultaneously underpinned by a self-assuredness not seen in past releases. The same ca...