Song Review: “Turtle” by Nep
by Rowyn Belt
Right as her Florida Girl tour is about to begin, Nep released a completely self-produced single, Turtle. The highly-anticipated song had been teased on Instagram since February 10th, making fans wait for the creative, seemingly lighthearted song to come out.
The song features Nep’s voice and guitar, staying simple in instrumentation despite the complex vocal layers throughout the track’s entirety. This is very similar to some of Nep’s first releases, like Soup Song and Milk Town/Mr. Carter. Though the concepts of the songs are completely separate from each other, the general energy of them is very similar- the trademark chill, indie, bedroom studio sound is something that has characterized Nep’s music since the very beginning of her career, and continued into her EP Nep’s Storybook, as well as her debut album Noelle.
Nep does an amazing job at producing songs that create a sense of yearning, neglect, nervousness, and awkwardness even through her stripped, simple instrumentation. The chorus alone, “turtle, turtle, you’re my fucking favorite,” really portrays that feeling of deep affection, even without the following line, “I think that I love you and I’ll never ever say it.” The more conversational aspect of Nep’s writing is part of what makes her such a unique songwriter, and is something to be admired. The lyrics, “I’m a dog, I tried a little harder to hold on but dogs run way faster than a turtle,” give us a deep look into the intention of the song- she moves too fast for the person she wanted. In a world like ours, it’s easy to move through life quickly, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nep allows us to find comfort in the fact that she, too, moves quickly and has to let things go.
The storytelling throughout the song is lovely, it feels like a recollection more than anything else. Nep’s thoughts aren’t all in order, but they aren’t supposed to be. It’s supposed to feel chaotic, almost like a story being told second hand, and the scaffolding throughout this song is amazing. Though the singer can’t seem to get the person they want, they learned so many of their faults and know better now. Each time she sings the words, “no breaks, no mercy,” the listener gets hit by a new realization. We’re getting every emotion Nep felt in smaller doses.
Throughout Turtle, Nep does amazing work with her conversational storytelling skills. Her folksy-guitar playing and vocal complexities allow for some thought, but also creates a comforting environment for the listener. Her song about yearning a love you can’t have hits hard, even though the song itself is soft and light-hearted.
