Pop music these days tends to be mundane and overtly money-orientated. The latest offering from Sydney based songwriter Nicole Millar, Communication, has reached the dizzying heights of being distinctly average. Don’t take that as an insult to the EP though; average is a level not often reached by artists in the genre of pop. This EP offers eight songs that won’t change the world, but will certainly satisfy the ears of every generic pop fan out there.

The minimalist instrumentation sounds like every beach holiday tune rolled out in the last couple of years. That’s not to say the music is bad, it just lacks originality. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that the synthesized beats running through the veins of the EP are extremely soothing. In particular, ‘No Bad Vibes’ carries a beat that could melt tension out of a steel beam.

The futuristic synthesized melodic lines of act as a platform of Nicole’s voice rather than an impressive element in their own right. ‘Signals’ does well to delicately accompany the lusting vocal line. I has to be said Nicole’s voice is absolutely superb on this EP.

Communication is significantly better lyrically than most pop albums being released. However, Nicole won’t be winning awards for her ability to craft tales just yet. In the chorus of ‘Pixelated’, Nicole sings “I couldn’t care less. I’m so careless watch me”, which definitely isn’t as bad as Bieber’s ‘Baby’ but is hardly ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

Overall, this EP is definitely not one to shout about. Sure, Nicole’s vocals are great and the beats are soothing but that’s not a change from a lot of popular music these days. What Nicole needs to find is a unique thread to weave through her music that will propel her to heights above her fellow pop artists.

Ben Roberts