By Todd Lavoie
Cue the strings! Fire up the mellotron! Roll out the timpani! There's always room for more melodrama in my life - just as long as it's strictly of the musical variety - and lucky me, new discovery Nicole Atkins is making everything pretty blood-and-thunder in my house, thank you very much. It's all smoke and fire and shadows and oh-so-devilishly noir, and I don't ever want to leave. How could I, when she makes the darkness so damn romantic?
The self-described Jersey girl just released her debut, Neptune City (Red Ink/Columbia), and I'll be damned if it ain't one of the most compelling, thrillingly promising first albums on a major label this year. I could easily offer a dozen different points-of-comparison for the full-throated chanteuse - and chances are, I probably will by the time I'm done here - but Atkins seems to be out there on her own with this one. And yeah, that's a compliment - of the highest order, in fact.
Neptune City is an ambitious piece of wide-screen-seeking theatrical pop, offering an alluring re-interpretation of '50s/early '60s sounds: Phil Spector, Roy Orbison, and Patsy Cline rolled into one, then sent packing on the coldest night of winter into the cruel neon of a heartless city. They might be mean streets, but she sure manages to make them seem inviting nonetheless.
Blame it on the Scandinavian winters, I suppose. Atkins recorded the album in Sweden during the darkest months, which may have helped provide just the extra inspiration needed to give these 10 songs their distinctly after-hours feel. And what else, pray tell, is Sweden famous for, besides long, dreary winters? Yes! Pure, unapologetic pop music - and the folks who accompanied Atkins here have hoisted a gorgeous backdrop for her sweeping, panoramic vocals, harking back to the lush orchestrations of a Phil Spector/Brill Building production.
Cellos, violins, sleigh bells, chimes, flute, vibraphone, trumpet, trombone - you name it. While you're at it, throw in some pedal-steel and the occasional Link Wray/Duane Eddy rumble of rockabilly guitar, just to complete the picture. Then there's Atkins' voice, a remarkably versatile instrument that can easily slide from the seductive sweetness of Jenny Lewis to the brassy bravado of Mama Cass to the Opry-noir of Neko Case, often within the same song.
Friends of mine have also pointed out similarities in delivery to Stevie Nicks - sure, I can see that one if I close my eyes and search for it among the occasional rasps - and k.d. lang, a reference which makes sense in the context of their mutual admiration for Patsy Cline. But how about letting the gal speak for herself? Here's Neptune City's title track - sweet Christ, she makes her New Jersey hometown sound god-awfully gorgeous, doesn't she? :
Album opener "Maybe Tonight" has yet to be released as a single - whatever that means, in today's iTunes/YouTube era in which radio play is pretty meaningless, anyway - but it's already a hit in my own personal alternate-1962 universe. From the girl-group handclap-propelled rhythms to the Hairspray-worthy choruses, it's a rousing opening statement, if slightly misleading for its hints of sunny-ness. Still, it isn't exactly squeaky-clean puppy love, either, is it?: "I first saw you like an old ghost story / from my family tree / that was handed down to me / And I've known you like a siren's song that warns / I have been informed / you could be the death of me." Bummer at the soda-fountain…
"Together We're Both Alone" is an epically romantic number guided along by a sweeping string arrangement, perky brass, and soulful electric piano. "Together we're both alone but I don't mind," Atkins proclaims over one of the most majestic uses of a string section I've encountered since the Verve "borrowed" one from the Rolling Stones with their "Bittersweet Symphony." And perhaps the most experimental moment on the album, "Brooklyn's on Fire!" finds Atkins channeling the glam girl within, opting for crashing drum fills and Mick Ronson-inspired guitar while barely keeping her end-is-nigh exuberance in check. It's a fascinating diversion, if not entirely successful thanks to the children's chorus careening behind her.
Lastly, I should mention that Atkins can kick out a seriously rousing tribute to fellow Jersey girl/enthusiast of '50s/early '60s radio, Patti Smith. In Copenhagen earlier this year, she participated in a concert-tribute to Smith, throttling out a crackling take on "Pissing in a River." A portent of things to come, perhaps?
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Comments (2)
Nicole killed it at her hometown venue of the Stone Pony last night. For more on her, including my review of Neptune City and my cover story about her in the October issue of Upstage Magazine, please see my MySpace blog as the magazine has, unfortunately, run into some financial troubles and the website no longer has archives available. However, you can still download the November issue, which does contain my review. Use the link below and enjoy!
Laura in NJ
Posted by Laura in NJ | December 2, 2007 01:53 PM
Posted by samony | February 28, 2008 10:07 AM