For anyone who has been following the release history of Nick Hakim, you’ll be incredibly excited by the news that his official debut album is almost here. On May 19th, the D.C. songwriter will release his Green Twins LP via ATO Records, and here we have the first taste of that long-awaited long-player – ‘Bet She Looks Like You’. As with many of the tracks on his two-part Where Will We Go EPs, the original demo for ‘Bet She Looks Like You’ was developed over a three year process; the perfect amount of time to cultivate Hakim’s classic sound. However, unlike previous work, this album preview has a clearer focus; it’s a sobered up version of Hakim’s hazy, lost-in-soul distinction. Of course, the recording is still lo-fi, the guitars are still soaked in reverb and the microphone is still set a considerable distance from Hakim as his voice bounces around a sparsely furnished, high-ceiling room. What’s different is the conviction through which all these elements have come together. He is no longer resigned, but resilient; no longer uncertain, but sure of himself. Although never immature, it does seem as though Hakim has risen to a new level of maturity. - HT