Porter Robinson - Nurture (2021) Review
Porter Robinson is an electronic artist and DJ from North Carolina who has been working on his craft since he was a young teenager. The first time I had ever heard of Porter Robinson was after accepting a last-minute invitation to Second Sky 2021 (Robinson’s own music festival), and it was a great event filled with lots of great music.
Nurture is Robinson’s second album and his only album released in the seven years since his 2014 debut Worlds. The first time I listened to the majority of Nurture was during the festival surrounded by Porter’s biggest fans. The show opened my eyes to what EDM really is and what it can be after dismissing the wider genre as generic pop or full of annoying and abrasive synths. Before this show the only EDM I listened to and enjoyed was Daft Punk and Madeon’s Adventure, and the only reason I got into that album was because I enjoyed the track he had on FIFA 15.
Nurture begins with the song “Lifelike” and it is an excellent album opener. The song gives me the feeling that an adventure is about to begin, something akin to the start of a video game or an episode of Pokémon or something. The sound of this song (as well as the sound throughout the album) is interesting to me as it’s clearly a digital and electronic sound, however, it gives the the raw and warm feeling and vibes that analog recordings give you.
“Look at the Sky” is arguably the most optimistic song on the album with its uplifting chorus and upbeat production. The song opens with a charming and catchy piano riff before the four-on-the-floor drums kick in. I love the pre-chorus midway through the song when the virtual acoustic guitar plays the piano riff with some harmonics towards the end of the riff. The sound of the kick on this track stands out to me as it sounds deep and well-side-chained. Also, the vocal harmony (which is just Porter’s modulated voice overdubbed with his natural voice) throughout the song is amazing.
The third track on the album is “Get Your Wish,” and it may be my favorite song on the album. Porter has a great Song Exploder episode on this one that goes in-depth about how it's made and what it’s about which is worth checking out. The lyrics about what it’s like to be a musician and the struggles of being creative shine on this track. The drum fill within the first verse sounds so good like restart the song if I miss it good. The strings that come in after the first I love the way the chorus builds up and then the groovier drum beat comes in. Something about the shaker during the chorus is very 90s influenced. This is a standout track and if for nothing else I recommend checking this one out.
“Wind Tempos” is a great song, especially within the context of the album. The first half of the song is noisy and messy and glitchy but has this constant feeling that it's building towards something and when the piano comes in for the second part of the song you get a sense of instant relief, uplifting energy, and clarity. The second part of the song feels much more like a piano ballad mixed with spiritual lyrics and as it goes on it starts glitching again, very much like a book with a beginning, middle, and end. Porter left the sound of a mouse clicking in the mix and I always enjoy hearing it even though I have no idea why it was left in there, but it ultimately makes me feel like I am listening to him make this song live.
The way “Musician” opens right after “Wind Tempos” is a great way to bring the energy back up. Like many of the others on the album this song is also upbeat and optimistic. I enjoy this song's message, which is something along the lines of Porter getting over the expectations others have of his music and becoming comfortable doing what he wants to do. The moment the synth pans right before the chorus always sounds so good.
“do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do” is the song on the album that has the most childlike nostalgic feel to it. It feels like an extended interlude that leads perfectly into the next song especially because thematically this feels like someone reminiscing about their childhood and the next song is about mothers.
“Mother” is a very touching song that describes a mother’s love as her child grows up and Porter does a great job of painting the picture. This song has some of my favorite lyrics on the album and shows how good of a songwriter Porter can be. I am a massive fan of the use of glitching and chopping in Porter’s production and this song is a decent showcase of those techniques. Also, the drums sound is enormous on this one.
It took longer than any other song on the album for “dullscythe” to connect with me, however, once it clicked I found it to be a good introduction to the second half of the album and break at the midpoint. A large portion of the album is about Porter’s struggle of being a musician and I think that is what the song is trying to get across. The song begins sounding as fragments and snippets of a song with its constant glitching, panning, and loops, but it gradually morphs into more of a song as it goes on which mirrors how being a musician can feel like when having writer’s block or just feeling like they are in a rut and how eventually they break out of it.
After “dullscythe” comes “Sweet Time” and it reminds me of cheesy 80s synth-pop love songs in a good, nostalgic way. The lyrics are about falling in love and becoming more optimistic and grateful for being alive. I love how the synths, drums, and background noise gradually swells and gets louder as the song continues. I like the small details that went into the song, like the first verse sung by Porter in his natural voice, then his modulated feminine voice comes in and they end the song by layering the two voices which gives it a duet vibe that goes with the lyrics well.
“Mirror” has some of the most creative-sounding production on the album. The lyrics and message are consistent with what we’ve heard on the album so far, especially the narration parts. If there’s one song on the album that best captures the sound, production, and aesthetic of the album I would say it's either this one or “Get Your Wish.” The song ends with a message of hope and optimism and Porter does a great job of making that message feel sincere and meaningful throughout the project.
“Something Comforting” and its phenomenal synth hook is ultra catchy and I could listen to it on a loop constantly, just give me the 10-hour version. This song has excellent use of dynamics and makes the chorus feel really big and euphoric. One of the coolest parts of the song is towards the outro when his voice glitches and pans between his normal voice and his “character” voice. This is another excellent, stand-out song on Nurture.
“Blossom” is a beautiful song with sparse production, since it's pretty much just guitar and vocals. The guitar part in this song is amazing and reminds me strongly of melodic medieval guitar music. The song is a love song however the lyrics have a hint of melancholy to them, which adds a sense of sincerity and realism.
“Unfold” is the penultimate track on the album and it feels like the climax. The song sounds giant in scope with huge drums and synths and it makes a good contrast to “Blossom” which was the most intimate sounding. The live version of Language with this song mixed into it is amazing and a perfect mashup.
If “Unfold” is the climax, then “Trying to Feel Alive” is the song that plays at the end credits, the victory lap. One of my favorite parts of the song is hearing the deep synth bass line come in around halfway through, before the first verse. This song is a perfect album closer and it captures the essence of Nurture while wrapping it up nicely since it ends in many of the same ways it started.
The use of sounds of nature throughout the album does a great job of bringing the aesthetics and art style of the album out and tying it together with the music. Porter’s production throughout the album is wildly creative, and it gives the album a unique sound that you can tell loads of effort and care was put into it. The record reminds me of indie/bedroom pop and because Porter’s recent live shows are being played by a band I am led to believe his next project will go even further in that direction. I hope his next project uses his natural voice more since I find it better than his modulated and pitch-shifted voice.
I have grown to view Nurture as one of my favorite albums of the last few years in part to its great tracklist and thematic consistency. It is not fully a concept album in the way something like The Wall or Good Kid, Maad City is, however, the album is compact and cohesive with its sound, production, and themes. Although Nurture is full of songs about growth and learning to be optimistic, grateful, and happy there is a constant bittersweet and melancholic feel to the music.
I saw Nurture’s live show three times in total and it was a great experience, especially the way he uses certain motifs (like the melody from Something Comforting) throughout the show. I would highly recommend this album to anyone, but especially if you like indie rock or synth pop and are willing to step your foot into the EDM world as I find this album does well to bridge the gap with those genres.
9/10 - Excellent