Charlie Hickey Releases ‘Nervous At Night’.
Written by: Jasmin Bota
Charlie Hickey’s new album, Nervous At Night, is an album filled with growth. Hickey lets his audience into his deep fears and successes while simultaneously reminiscing about his experiences with all kinds of love. Starting the album off with Dandelions, Hickey asks for freedom from his constant anxiety. Hickey frequently apologizes and is doubtful, often at his own expense. He apologizes when asking for space, time, and emotional check-ins from the people around him. He shows he is trying his hardest but knows he is not perfect. Lines of hope are torn down with critical thought. Dandelions pleads for silence within the noise of life. In his songs about love, we follow Hickey’s journey of compromise. Just how much is too much when you share a life with someone, and when is it time to stop trying? He sings, “When something good is happening/ I feel like it’s an accident,” showing his constant fear of the inevitable and endless chances of avoiding it. Hickey dances between intense isolation and full-on dependency lines, finding out which one works best for him. When he trails off into delicate storytimes about the days when everything was too intertwined, Hickey’s mind brings him back to Earth every time, reminding him he can leave whenever he wants but is allowed to stay when it feels right. He vaguely shares the courses of his relationships, leaving out specifics, allowing his theme of growth to seep through.
Hickey’s new album pulls apart his journey through young adulthood at just twenty-one, showing his listeners all of the deepest darkest thoughts. His friends that were once everything to him start to show faults, the older boys that introduced him to “adult topics” no longer seem extraordinary, and the signals he once took as love now make him think twice. Hickey is looking for someone to tie down who does not overindulge. Yet, at the same time, he is looking within himself to see if that is something he can give to himself. Listening to this album puts his listeners through a similar experience, wondering if the road he is going down is good for them too. Navigating the world on your own for the first time comes with so much weight, so much pressure. Hickey can feel it in every direction and sings his heart out, hoping for a more straightforward answer.
Hickey ends his album with the song “Planet With Water,” showing his readiness for a fresh start. He is ready to look for love that is refreshing, limitless, and perfectly unique to him. “You are a planet with water/ I’m never gonna find another place/ Where my love could survive." Hickey's haunting lyrics are lulled by the calm picks of strings, creating an emotional masterpiece. Like many of his listeners, I hope that he finds something just right—something or someone he can hold onto.
Connect with Charlie Hickey: Instagram