Listening to Nicki Wells' latest single 'I Have Longed To Be Here', there were a few things that first caught my attention. I knew that the artist's voice was good from the Christmas themed track that she released back in December, but it took on a whole new quality when the singer swapped over the British singer-songwriter style for the globalist approach to music that I found in this one. Being from Ontario, I don't have the best ear for World Music, so I was fascinated to discover that this song was inspired by both Indian classical and Bulgarian folk music, which I think you can hear in the rising and falling scales of Nicki Wells' elongated vocal notes. After collecting myself from being initially stunned by her voice, I listened a little closer to the lyrics to find pure poetry:"When night crosses day, All things go quiet and sway, When pain comes with its blow, All winds and currents know, But I have longed to be here, I have longed to be here." The final thing to take note of is the unique soundscape. I really enjoyed tuning in to the resonant bass or fractured violins that are constructed in a way that I've never really hear before. 'I Have Longed To Be Here' is a real testament to Nicki Wells' musical abilities in all departments, whether that be songwriting, musicianship, singing or production.
“I Have Longed To Be Here is about the notion that we have consciously or unconsciously chosen to be exactly where we are right now from the choices that life has presented. The good, the difficult, and everything in between." - Nicki Wells