If ever there was an album title to pique your interest and make you want to pick up a copy and listen it is Everything Is Impossible Until It Happens, the title of the debut album from Oli Ng. Come on I can’t be the only person who has bought an album based on the title, the bands name, or the artwork. These are the hooks that draw you in and make you want to find out more and as far as I am concerned Everything Is Impossible Until It Happens is a great title for an album and a great mantra for life in general.
The next thing to say is that it is not just the title of the album that is genius, Oli Ng is a singer song writer from Crewe who has given us a debut album to remember. Listening to the album it is clear that Oli is someone who wears his influences with a lot of pride and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We are all influenced by what we hear, what we see, what we read and use that to make our own art and that is exactly what Oli has done with this great album. Bruce Springsteen, War On Drugs, Stereophonics have all clearly had a big impact on Oli’s life. What Oli has done with this album is to use those influences together with his own life experiences, his own views on the world and combine all of that to give us the perfect mix of reflective moments and anthemic stadium filling songs.
The album kicks off with Up The Wall, a tender acoustic led song which will instantly take hold of your thoughts and imagination. The way the vocals sit just above the guitar and percussion is a true work of art. Haunted House follows and before you know it you will be imagining yourself in a stadium full of people singing along at the top of their voices. This is a song that deserves a big audience. Lyrically Haunted House highlights the importance of talking about how we are feeling and not to let our emotions build up inside. For so many of us (men especially) it is not easy to talk about these things, Oli has managed to capture that in this powerful song “Tell me how you are feeling / when the lights go down / cos I’m a little lost now / trying to figure this all out”.
They often say the first three songs on the album are of utmost importance, Oli completes the opening trio with I Will Save Your Heart. A beautiful song that is full of honesty and emotions that the listener will be able to relate to “I will save your heart / If you save my mind / I’ll be right here / right here by your side”. A tender song about finding the right partner, and what we can provide for each other in relationships. I also love the lyric “Those car park conversations we had when we were young / shaped us into / into who we are today”. Our lives are all about the narrative, the journeys we have been on, the conversations we have had, the people we have met, and that line is full of nostalgia and a recognition on how our past experiences turn us into the person we become.
Waiting for Me To Call is full of reflections and regrets on the life we lead. How people move on at different paces, how towns change and yet manage to stand still at the same time “I’m sorry that all the flowers have died and the coffee’s cold / while you were waiting / waiting for me to call.” The song is sung with so much passion and belief, around the 2:30 minute mark the vocals are unleashed in a way that will stir your soul. The Rot follows next, another thought provoking compelling song which has a haunting sound and a slight darkness to the melodies ensuring our attention is held as the song envelopes us. Dance All Night is one of those songs that deserves to be played on every radio station across the land. Yes, I know today’s world is more focussed on playlists and algorithms (unfortunately) but I still love radio, and when I hear songs like this I want to imagine people driving round listening to the radio in the sunshine with their windows opening and singing along at the top of the voices. The chorus has such a pop feel to it, that must be heard by as many people as possible.
Be Mine is a love song that will be sure to put a smile on your face. The song contains some sweet, melodies filled with sunshine that will make the dark clouds part and leave you with nothing but happiness and joy. It’s a song about finding the perfect person even if you find yourself waiting a while to do so, and how that perfect person can save you “You saved my life from running into the wild.” Save Me comes charging at us with so much determination and purpose. The song deals with the topics of making mistakes in life, learning from them, and needing to be saved. Believe In Love Again gives the album another arms aloft, gentle anthemic moment, those shared experiences of bringing people together and sharing moments of hearing these heart-warming songs collectively. When you find that person who makes you believe in love, make sure you hold onto them tight and never let them go. “When I’m feeling low, you’re the one I call / to pick me up and drive me home”. The album closes with Talisker & Ginger a song full of imagery and thoughts of growing old and our place in this world. “You say there ain’t no fun / in getting old / It’s what you told me / Through the cigarette smoke”.
With Everything Is Impossible Until It Happens, Oli Ng has written an album that you would be foolish to ignore. This is timeless song writing at its absolute best. There is nothing fake about this. Oli Ng is clearly a musician who loves what he does, is honest in his songs and uses music and song writing as a way to capture his emotions and thankfully there are people like Oli out there still doing this and releasing albums that we can all relate to whilst singing along at the top of our voices and letting all our worries drift away.