Cheshire-based singer-songwriter Oli Ng released his debut album entitled “Everything is Impossible Until It Happens” and it is a 10-track offering that takes listeners on a pleasant journey. The joyous ride that Oli takes us on proves that some songwriters debut with an album that’s a masterpiece.
The record starts with “Up The Wall“, which sets some expectations as to what’s on the record and what Oli is up to. The track’s clean guitar chord progression matches with Oli’s soft vocals, which gain more power as the song progresses, and some subtle drums and bass keep everything tied together and keep the sound well-balanced. The pleasant surprise I wasn’t expecting here was the saxophone and the majestic solo it plays, with the guitars backing it up, that section felt like it was taken right out of a dream. The second track “Haunted House (feat. Jared Hart)” is a little heavier than the first song. And when I say heavier I mean that in regard to every element. The vocals, for instance, have a lot more grit and distortion, the guitar lines are more overdriven, and the bass is more present this time. The way Oli performs his vocal lines on this track proves how much of a rock powerhouse he is. The way the harmonies, accents, and additional lines of the featured artist are recorded and mixed here is beyond phenomenal too… world-class.
I Will Save Your Heart is more of a ballad due to its slower tempo, softer guitars, softer drums, and emotional vocals.it’s highly reminiscent of 2000s Alternative rock that you could fit into a movie’s soundtrack and it’d be the main character’s moment of regret and sadness within themself. The fourth track, “Waiting For Me To Call” has some melodic guitar work that sounds very unique (it’s not your run-of-the-mill chord progression). This track is once again an emotional piece that makes you feel like a protagonist in your own movie…especially with the high notes in the bridge. The Rot is a softer and more Alternative track with a gradually increasing pace. I love how everything breaks loose from the second verse and the bridge/solo section till the ending. Oli’s high notes are sung with support and clarity that makes his emotional delivery honest and his sound authentic and powerful. The following track, “Dance All Night“, is a fast-paced and more uptempo/upbeat track that will definitely remind you of a loved one and make you reminisce about some good old times and fall into a nostalgic mood. I really love this song’s guitar solo and how the modern-sounding guitar tone shines bright on it. You could realize at this point that Oli has a background of being a live performer more than a recording artist, because of the power and intensity in those tracks and how his voice resonates in many of his high notes and difficult parts.
The seventh track, “Be Mine“, is a romantic ballad with a clean guitar chord progression and a piano. The drums appear on the second verse but they only play lightly enough for it to remain a ballad and not lose any of its softness…Oli is a brilliant songwriter indeed. The eighth track, “Save Me”, is a slow-tempo yet heavy number that’s full of heart-breaking lyrics that tell a story and don’t shy away from being too real and personal at times…this has to be one of my favorites off the record. “Believe In Love Again” is a song that’s as hopeful as its title suggests. I’m really in love with how Oli can make me feel a certain emotion or demeanor just through the way he enunciates and converses with his significant other in his lyrics. The fact that he writes lyrics like a conversation should be appreciated on its own…this guy is showing to be a total genius and it’s still just his debut record! The tenth and final song, “Talisker and Ginger“, is composed of Oli’s vocals and acoustic guitar only. It’s one of the softer tracks for sure but it’s also highly anthemic and sing-along-able. The album has sadly come to an end…and I say sadly because I felt like I wasn’t done just yet with the awesomeness I witnessed…this is more than just a promising debut…I’d rather call it a reassuring debut…as in if someone discovers Oli Ng in the future they can rest assured he is an awesome singer-songwriter just by seeing how awesome he sounds just on his first release to the world. I 10/10 recommend this album.
