Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor Review

With ‘Method Actor’, the end result is a contemplative, mellow effort that further solidifies Nilüfer as an individual, underrated force in guitar music today.

Three albums in; what is the sound of Nilüfer Yanya? Her distinctive voice alone sets are apart as through her first EP onward, syncopated electric drums, gorgeous music videos, intricate guitar work, sun inflected imagery. I could go on, but the point is clear. Her discography is an arc of her talent and showcase for her ability to paint an image in the listener’s mind through her music. Collaborating with Will Archer for an intimate affair that results in her third album ‘My Method Actor’, this collection of songs showboats Nilüfer’s knack for intricate storytelling and world building through choosing where softness sits and fierceness comes into play, with an album that tackles the question of where you stand in the world in conjunction to all those around you, known and unknown.  

‘Like I Say (I Run Away)’ so perfectly captures the need to escape and prioritising how you spend your time, in a fun glee that suits Nilüfer well with its flashy chorus and overall blasé ambiance. Rockier moments like in the track ‘Method Actor’ would’ve been a welcomed departure from her sun soaked and sombre guitar sound that she has honed in on. ‘Mutations’, the need to disappear is clear as a reoccurring theme on the album, a prime example of the cinematic quality of the album can be pinned to this track, in particular for the inclusion of strings. ‘Wingspan’ closes the album on a sweet melancholic note, with sombre synths layered over the initial wistful guitar line, as Nilüfer sings of departure and an inevitable fate.

With ‘My Method Actor’, the end result is a contemplative, mellow effort that further solidifies Nilüfer as an individual, underrated force in guitar music today.