the 31 best of 2007 – 16: Nicole Atkins – Neptune City

Nicole Atkins was an amazingly unexpected, but fantastic, discovery for me. I went to see one of my favorite girl groups, The Pipettes, in concert, and after a not-so-great opening act, they announced that the next opening act would be Nicole Atkins. I had never heard of her before that moment, but that would quickly change, and I am thankful that it did.

After she took the stage, and her melancholy lyrics, haunting vocals, and guitar-driven pop filled the room, I instantly found something in her that I really, really liked. Both my friend Stu and I remarked about how good she was; both in her performance, and in her sound. Nicole is one of those artists that a lot of people may not have heard about; but for those that have, she is an amazingly talented artist. There is this very “old” quality to her sometimes child-like voice, and the sadness she pours into her lyrics, take you to a deep place; but the peppering of lighthearted moments in this music keep you from falling to the bottom of an ocean of sadness. As Nicole said during the concert, which I felt was totally appropriate, the lyrics may be a little depressing, but the music is something you can dance to. She takes her aching feelings, and layers them with wrenching guitars, and spiraling and subtle beats; only to occasionally surprise you with an almost “upbeat” or “optimistic” feeling chorus. Song after song, she entices you with her amazingly child-like (yet worn-around-the-edges), and huge voice; and the result is something beautiful and moving. It is a hauntingly beautiful album.

The way that Nicole controls the stage is echoed on her CD, Neptune City,in a more polished form. She has some stories to tell, and you really get the sense that she has been around and unfortunately, has had some love and loss. I think that the slight raspy quality of her voice really allows you to feel the ache that she feels. I also love how she often borders on dramatics in her vocal play, and the effect really gives you sense of drama, love, and loss; all while keeping you entertained and enthralled by her performance. All of this “depressing” nature is still, however, kept upbeat by her rock-and-roll sensibilities, and the result is one of those records that you fall for, and love throughout (as I did). Nicole is definitely a fantastic artist, and this CD stands out among the others that I have loved this year. The only reason that it didn’t land amongst the top records of the year for me, unfortunately, is because I found out about it so late in the year (it came out at the end of October), and I haven’t had enough time to truly explore and enjoy the intricate nuances of Nicole’s sound.

This is one of those CDs that require you to spend some quality time with it, in order to truly love it as much as it needs to be loved (like the Shins and Rilo Kiley’s CDs for me, I had to spend time with both of them to truly appreciate them). While I definitely loved it upon the first listen, I know that this is one of those CDs that gets better with time, and my love for it will grow over time. Overall, there really isn’t anything bad I can say about this album, this is an amazing album from an amazing artist, and one that I will continue to love for a long time to come. I’m just glad that I discovered the amazingness that is Nicole Atkins, and can pass my love such an amazing talent along to you.

Favorites from Neptune City:
Kill The Headlights
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_headlights.mp3]
Brooklyn’s On Fire!
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/na-brooklynsonfire.mp3]
Neptune City
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/na-neptunecity.mp3]
War Torn, and Party’s Over.

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