Nico Tortorella rose to the attention of global audiences thanks to his roles in films such as ‘Scream 4’ and the hit TV series ‘Younger’. Outside of his acting work, Tortorella has also found success as a writer with three books to his name, including the recently released children’s book ‘Olivette Is You’. Now Tortorella is exploring a side of his artistry that was awakened during filming for the Apple TV+ show ‘City on Fire’ and putting out his first music project ‘born.’
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With so many actors trying their hand at making music, it’s easy to dismiss their attempts as a vanity project. That isn’t the case here with Tortorella’s ‘born.’ This 9-track collection, recorded with producer Abe Seiferth, is a deeply personal collection of songs that takes the listener through key moments in Tortorella’s life from falling in love through to the birth of his daughter Kilmer Dove. The project’s first single, and the album’s opening track, ‘Grapefruit’ is a hazy love ballad that combines ethereal sounds with Tortorella’s laidback vocal. It’s a perfect summer song and a strong start to the record.
On ‘Done and Up’, Tortorella heads in a totally different direction to ‘Grapefruit’. Electronica meets hip-hop for an exploration of the life of an artist where things move quickly and frustrations rise frequently. There’s an urgency to the song as Tortorella speak-sings the lyrics, using vocal effects to enhance the overall sound. Bi-anthem ‘He Said She Said’ leans into a laidback groove with Tortorella singing in a higher range for the most part. As someone who has been vocal about his own sexuality and refused to conform to societal norms, Tortorella captures a personal part of journey in the song’s lyrics.
‘Call Me That’ seems to be an answer back to Tortorella’s critics. You only have to look at the comments on his Instagram posts to see that plenty of people think they have the right to have their say on how he lives his life. With ‘Call Me That’, Tortorella appears to be telling those critics to carry on saying whatever they want, and takes ownership of who he is.
Among the tracklist there are two shorter tracks that I’d consider to be interludes. The trippy ‘Encircle’, which finds Tortorella repeating confirmations to himself, and the Sufjan Stevens-esque ‘Liminal’, which continues the lyric from ‘He Said She Said’ before Tortorella’s repeats ‘I’m Liminal, unconditional, metaphysical mythical, I’m Liminal’.
The album really takes flight with the impeccable final three tracks. ‘Last Summer’ is a gorgeous reflection on preparing to become a parent for the first time and an ode to Tortorella’s partner Bethany. It’s dreamy with a sonic soundscape that makes you want to go lie on a beach somewhere and just stare up into the sky. ‘Kilmer Dove’, a song that was originally 17 minutes long, is the most emotional moment on the record. A love letter to Tortorella’s daughter, the song uses the symbolism of birds to pay homage to her. The first time I heard this song, it stopped me completely in my tracks and my eyes welled up. There’s a raw honesty about the track that connects with the soul, and it’s stunning.
For the album’s final track, ‘La Santa Madre’, Tortorella delivers his most untethered performance. Singing in Spanish, his voice explores a deeper range and borders on the classical. It’s incredibly stirring and made even more emotive by the inclusion of audio from the birth of Kilmer. It contrasts wildly with the rest of the record, and for that reason it’s the only way that ‘born.’ could have ended.
‘born.’ is a project that is incredibly special. This isn’t an actor trying to make a buck with music, this is someone who has uncovered a form of artistic impression they didn’t know they were capable of. You can’t help but be moved by these songs and Tortorella’s lyrics, as well as his sincere and raw vocals. ‘born.’ is the kind of album you need to spend time with, turn up loud and just lose yourself to. Given this is Tortorella’s debut music project, I can’t wait to see him soar with whatever comes next.
Track list: 1. Grapefruit 2. Encircle 3. Done and Up 4. He Said She Said 5. Liminal 6. Call Me That 7. Last Summer 8. Kilmer Dove 9. La Santa Madre Released by: 39 Records Release date: 26th April 2024 Buy ‘born.’ now
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