I only discovered Nell and her music in mid-December last year and wrote about that in this blog. In a unique and slightly surreal way, I have been looking forward to this album, but also dreading it. I kind of knew it would be good (and it is!) and I also kind of knew the sense of heartbreak that it would bring.
Smith tragically died in a car accident in October 2024. Nell was only 17 years old. I can only imagine the songs she would have gone on to write and sing, the shows she would play and the joy she would bring to people, the kids she would inspire.
However, like Nell's family, friends and record label, those that discover her music and talent have to cherish the fact that she did get to record some wonderful songs and that this album has been released.
Posthumous albums often carry a heavy emotional weight, but Anxious, the debut from 17-year-old Nell Smith, is uniquely devastating. Released on April 11, 2025, via Bella Union, the album offers a luminous glimpse into a young artist whose voice was silenced far too early.
Nell's 2021 collaboration with The Flaming Lips, Where The Viaduct Looms, reimagined Nick Cave’s songs through her youthful lens. With Anxious, she steps into her own spotlight, revealing a songwriting voice and talent that’s both playful and profound. Anxious is Nell's real debut album. Released on April 11, 2025, via Bella Union, the album offers a luminous glimpse into a young artist whose voice was silenced far too early.
The album was produced by Jack and Lily Wolter of Penelope Isles, who worked closely with Nell in Brighton. Some of the songs date back to when she was just 12 years old. The sessions were fueled by Doritos, fizzy sweets, Coca-Cola, and the thrill of sneaking into local gigs for inspiration. The result is a psychedelic indie-pop record that captures the emotional turbulence of adolescence with startling clarity.
The title track, Anxious sets the tone with a whimsical yet raw take on teenage angst, reflecting on the isolation of growing up during a pandemic. Bubba finds joy in grief, while Boy in a Bubble is a slice of psychedelic pop, a thank you note to mentor Wayne Coyne.
Billions of People (my immediate and current favourite) and Daisy Fields shimmer with inventive pop experimentation.
The chorus into the bridge on Billions of People is devastatingly emotional. Oooft! 7.92 billion people and I'd choose you - now that's a line!
And if I was in a room full of people I'd never met, I'd look for you
And if I was feeling blue and upset, I'd call out for you
7.92 billion people and I'd choose you
Three tracks were co-written with Canadian folk band Shred Kelly during cozy winter evenings in her hometown of Fernie, British Columbia, in 2022. These collaborations, later completed in Brighton, add warmth and intimacy to the album’s sonic palette.
A few words of praise from other reviews;
AllMusic called it “a poignant, eloquent peek into teenage girlhood”
Consequence described it as “an upbeat slice of psych-pop in which Smith expresses her love of music as a way to cope with anxiety.”
Spin noted the album’s “bright, ‘Why not?’ energy of experimentation,” likening it to “Regina Spektor fronting The Flaming Lips.”
I've donated $20 to the Nell Smith Memorial Fund, established by her family in memory of Nell to support emerging musicians. The fund, aims to raise $100,000, awarding $10,000 annually over ten years, with profits from Anxious contributing directly to this initiative.
Nell Smith and Anxious will leave a mark and her life, music and talent will be celebrated and discovered by many for a long, long time to come.
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