Nick Vivid – ‘Volatile’ [Album Review]

New York City-based electronic lo-fi funk artist Nick Vivid releases his latest album, Volatile, a concept album that sees Vivid contemplating his frame of mind after arriving in New York.

Vivid explains, “These songs are me looking back at a time when everything felt raw and uncertain. It’s about the people I met, the mistakes I made, and the dreams I kept chasing even when they felt out of reach.”

Of the dozen tracks on Volatile, highlights include “Too Toxic,” a lightly funky new wave tune featuring wobbling synths riding crunchy percussion as Vivid shows off his chancy falsetto.

A personal favorite because of its supple, sensuous flow, “The Softest Landing” rolls out on shimmering synths and a fluid walking rhythm that undulates on a fat bassline. Whooshing accents give the melody lysergic waves. There’s a glowing harmonic aura to this track that’s captivating.

“Volunteer,” a song about generosity or the lack thereof, travels on an oblique, syncopated rhythm that gives the tune a slanted feel. Rounded keyboards and oozing accents infuse the melody with an unusual funk-lite sensation.

Nick Vivid, photo by Thuy Smutz

The ’70s disco feel of “Moving Targets” conjures up memories of John Travolta strutting down the streets of NYC. Whereas “Weight of the World” prances on darker funk dynamics, including a dirty guitar that deliciously abrades listeners’ ears.

“Stone Cold Rainbow” closes the album, offering funk-laced tones of shiny colors, deep moans, and almost discordant luminous surfaces. As the tune teeter-totters, it projects triplicate layers that form a hypnotic seesawing movement.

Simultaneously retro and almost experimental, on Volatile, a carefully nuanced album, Nick Vivid finds meaning in the past.

Volatile Track Listing:

1. Too Toxic
2. None of Your Business
3. Now Or Never
4. First Kiss
5. The Softest Landing
6. Volunteer
7. Moving Targets
8. V-O-L-A-T-I-L-E
9. Learn To Run (On a Little Bit)
10. Weight of the World
11. I Get Free, Pt. 1
12, Stone Cold Rainbow

Run Time: 43:52
Release Date: October 24, 2025
Record Label: Megaplatinum Records