‘Fast Money Music’ is Nick Hinman’s first solo outing since moving to London in 2020.
Upon reading the project name, I feared an unapologetic capitulation to a consumerist music industry – a quick ten-track cash-in. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by something far more emotional: a lo-fi-tinged post-punk riverboat, steered by Hinman through a journey of self-exploration. Chorus-steeped guitars soak the record in nostalgia while a pop bassline keeps your feet moving.
Hinman sits at the forefront, but some of the album’s most compelling moments come from its collaborators. Most notable is the unmistakable whine of John Waugh’s saxophone (The 1975), which cuts through the mix and gives the project a distinctive edge. Drummer Steffan Halperin (Klaxons) is equally vital, anchoring the grooves and adding the purrs and thrums of synthesiser that lend the otherwise lo-fi record a coherent, spacey atmosphere.
The album opens with its strongest track – both a blessing and a mild curse. ‘Round and Round’ instantly pulls you into a state of bitter, post-pandemic nostalgia with its chorus-laden guitar riff. Hinman, who began writing the project after moving to London at the start of the decade, captures that abstract melancholy perfectly, layering swelling synths in the chorus to thicken the texture. His vocal delivery is addictive, almost Strokes-esque in its nonchalant warmth, and it immediately sets the tone for the entire record.
‘Unfortunately’ continues the theme of temporal pining and emotional baggage. “I don’t travel light,” Hinman sings, “and she said to me, neither do I.” The bass takes centre stage here, both melodic and grounding, while stabbing guitars create an intriguing rhythmic tension in the verses. The chorus exhales rather than surges, which slightly stalls the momentum — but the following track, ‘Lover Boy’, immediately rights the ship. Halperin’s thumping drums return with authority, and Waugh’s saxophone makes its first significant appearance. Tasty doesn’t even begin to cover it.
‘Nevermind’ dives headfirst into the post-punk tradition that inspires the whole project. Its wacky atonality and anti-melodic guitar licks scratch an itch few records reach. The bass riff is heavy and anchoring, yet the song still harbours an undeniable pop sensibility.
Energy spikes again on ‘Lost Angeles’, where Hinman shouts over an explosive chorus while Waugh’s saxophone screams in sympathy and electronic hums add a manic electricity.
‘Bossa Supernova’ is another highlight. The bass creates an irresistible, funkily sliding groove that somehow always finds the perfect root note. The contrast between loud and quiet sections gives the track a natural flow and dynamic balance.
After so much energy, the nostalgia I loved in the opening tracks briefly disappears. ‘Crocodile Tears’ is the weakest moment on the record. While it fits the album’s sonic world, the central idiom feels cliché, the hook is repeated to the point of exhaustion, and the vocal melody lands as strangely generic. It halts the album’s momentum.
‘There Are No Words’ attempts redemption with a hypnotic, motif-driven approach that passes a repetitive melody between instruments like a game of catch. The guitar stabs and seedy bassline are enticing at first, but by the end the repetition starts to feel a touch tedious.
Finally, ‘Ashes’ brings the nostalgia flooding back. Waugh’s saxophone sings in a major key against an arpeggiated, chorus-drenched guitar riff, making tangible the intangible emotion the record had been circling. Towards the end, two saxophone lines harmonise and dance around each other like doves playfighting.
Closing track ‘Less Real’ returns to those heart-tugging electronic ambient hums and shaky warbles behind yet another beautifully embellished guitar riff. The arpeggiation risks feeling slightly samey by this point, but in lo-fi that’s less a flaw than a feature.
All told, Fast Money Music creates a coherent world of lo-fi nostalgia and spacey electricity. It’s not revolutionary, but it is the ordinary done exceptionally well – and that, in itself, is worthy of praise.
Fast Money Music is out now via Sick Records