Recently, in my quest to overcome the terrible scourge to listening enjoyment that is Spotify Free's obnoxious pre-song advertisements, I tentatively explored the fairly monopolised world of music streaming services.
Some Spotify-competitive services that I had tried in the past I discovered had removed the mobile listening portion of their enterprise, presumably muscled out by the likes of Spotify and Apple Music. However, one that I hadn't tried before but had seen advertised on TV was Deezer. Despite the fact that this TV advert plays into everything that I most dislike about modern television advertising, (see: random, inane) I decided that I would download their app and give it a go. Upon signing in, I was presented with fifteen days worth of 'premium' listening, ad free, extras all included, no credit card details required. Awesome, thanks!
It dawned on me at this moment that I held great power within my hands; a great and terrible power that would allow me to listen to any album by any licensed artist without having to listen to some catastrophically loud advert blasting out at me before each song. Of course, in that moment I also realised that I couldn't think of a single album to listen to. Go figure.
After a bit of browsing, Goodnight Rhonda Lee by Nicole Atkins came up as a suggestion on the Deezer app, and so, I gave it a try. Fantastic suggestion, Deezer; pat on the back.
Now, I'm no music reviewer. These are untrained and unprofessional thoughts of my own. I just thought it would be a fun piece to write, since I enjoyed the album so much. Oh, and I should also probably say that, living under a rock as I do, I have no idea whether Nicole Atkins is or was a household name. If she is, have a good laugh at my expense. If not, you heard it here first: check her out! She's good!
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| [From Nicole Atkin's Website] |
Goodnight Rhonda Lee is Atkin's new album and it includes eleven songs of feel-good easy listening. I personally felt that the album swayed between a few different potential genres; where one song might be classified as pop, one takes more from RnB, whilst others have that country lilt and pine about them that evokes the image of a plaid-clad, jilted young woman sitting in some Southern bar, waiting for a friendly face.
A Little Crazy certainly fits into this country mythology. The simple strummed guitar is overlayed by Atkin's apologetic yet longing dialogue with her lost love to create a very strong opening track. Another thing to note is that A Little Crazy (along with the titular Goodnight Rhonda Lee, in particular) seems to subscribe to a bygone era of old-time country LPs. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about the first track of the album reminds me strongly of Roy Orbison's Crying, except I think that Only Fools and Horses would have a harder time parodying Atkin's tune.
Darkness Falls so Quiet smacks more of funky RnB and sets up an upbeat soul feel that continues through Listen Up, in which Atkin's passionate storytelling is complemented with a trio of Mo-town backing singers.
Track four, Goodnight Rhonda Lee, gave me such a country vibe that it forced me to look up Nicole Atkin's background part way through writing this sentence. Turns out that she is currently based in Nashville, and I must say that this doesn't surprise me at all. I admit that it is not very often that I explore new music or even old music in new genres, so to say that I am familiar with very much of the country genre would be a bold-faced lie. I do, however, still appreciate Goodnight Rhonda Lee for it's musicality and would offer that I know enough to suggest it does what it does tastefully; the sway fits just so, and the whole thing doesn't feel overdone. I did say that it gave me a 'country vibe' but that is not because it has corny lyrics and a one-riff-fits-all guitar backing; far from it. It simply holds an air of the South and as with classics such as More Than Just This Song, by Brad Paisley, it will have you humming along.
A more rock-orientated country emerges in If I Could, to create a quite pleasing Elvis-song vibe. Not Elvis? Umm. Rockabilly? My lack of knowledge shows me up here. I need to listen to more country, I guess. Moving on.
Colors [sic!] is, for me, the most disappointing track on the album. Though it starts out promisingly with blues hints and a taken-to-the-bottle story, its chorus doesn't hit the right notes with me; in fact, I became a little irritated by Atkin's repetition of 'colors' [sic!!] which, to my mind, simply interrupted an otherwise tuneful and reflective piano and violin combo. Still, can't win 'em all.
Brokedown Luck returns to funk in full force, with a catchy drum beat kicking into a rhythmic and groovy play between drawling verse and energetic chorus. This one reminded me most of Paolo Nutini's most recent forays into soul in Caustic Love, which also included soul-funk screams, snare and the occasional trumpet send off. In my opinion, a good pickup for Atkins after the downturn that was Colors [sic!!!]
I Love Living Here (Even When I Don't), Sleepwalking and A Night of Serious Drinking mark three tracks of what I would call 'background listening'. Whilst Sleepwalking and A Night of Serious Drinking are still fairly interesting songs, the three together feel more like ambiance music than something I would chose to focus my attention on. Yet, this mellower feel makes for an even stronger punch from the out-and-out dream haze that is the final track, A Dream Without Pain.
Albeit completely different stylistically, A Dream Without Pain reminds me of some Beatles classics such as Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds; this is because of the dream-like, hazy feeling of Atkin's lullaby, which though sleepy also feels a little sinister, if that's the right word for it. Perhaps it's more of a scotch-induced fugue-state than a blankets and pillows sort of drifting, but the chorus is captivating and when twinned with a guitar riff solo straight out of the Carpenter's Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, it serves as a great send off to a great album.
Though I wasn't familiar with Nicole Atkin's work before now, I will no doubt be checking out her other albums (of which Google tells me there are four). All in all, this was a very pleasant journey, and given the catchiness of tracks such as A Little Crazy, Goodnight Rhonda Lee and A Dream Without Pain, it is one that I will no doubt be embarking on again and again.
At least until my Deezer trial runs out.
M
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