Nerina Pallot, Oh Berlin Review

Nerina Pallot is a vocalist and singer-songwriter discovered while working as a publishing assistant at Mute Records. Pallot signed to Polydor Records and released her first album in 2001. Fires was her second acclaimed album released in 2006, and drew comparisons with Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, and Tori Amos, and spawned hit singles “Everybody’s Gone To War” and “Sophia.” The album also garnered a Brit Award and Ivor Novello nominations. After two decades and seven studio albums with numerous accolades to her name, Pallot is releasing the single “Oh Berlin” through Ingrooves. Speaking about the song, she said, “There is nothing like a bitterly cold, rainy day in Berlin to make you ponder the meaning of your life, especially if this existential moment is taking place on stage in the middle of a gig in the German capital, wishing you had written more bangers and had a show with dancers and roller skates and at least three costume changes. And why did the Gods of Song forget you when bops were being handed out and gave you melancholy instead? Still, what’s that Oscar Wilde saying – ‘be yourself, everybody else is already taken’? It can take us a while to figure that out for ourselves, and some of us don’t need to go to Berlin to do it, but I did, and Oh Berlin is the result.”

Positives: “Oh Berlin” is an exciting and intelligent pop tune with universal appeal and a personal storyline with entirely relatable lyrics.

Bottom Line: “Oh Berlin” begins with a beautiful piano introduction leading us to Pallot’s warm and sensual voice. The melody traverses her vocal range, and she navigates the changes with confidence and technical assurance. The song builds with multi-layered instrument parts. The energy peaks when the drums enter as Pallot’s voice soars over the feel. The drum pattern has influences of trip-hop, but never get in the way of the instruments or Pallot. Her lyrics are suggestive of many emotions, and she sings them with conviction and passion. “Oh Berlin” is a beautiful single filled with excellent singing and writing. That’s the short of it!