While the background and journey adds substance to the
story, you barely need a fraction of the opening song from Nicole Atkins’ new
album to know that you are in the midst of a winner. GOODNIGHT RHONDA LEE is
the triumphant result of a calling ‘South’ and proof that the horizon knows no
limits when all the stars are aligned. Natural talent is bestowed upon an
individual with no invitation, but how it is utilised is key to transmitting such
a gift from the creative individual to the person experiencing it. From its
scintillating opening through the other ten tracks, this achingly beautiful
album fans the vocal flames with extraordinary pedigree.
A record that smoothly switches from making you smile, cry,
think and dance, this a classic cut of country soul, which spans the
generations. Throughout the album, Nicole wanders into soul territory armed
with rock credentials, never really staying, yet intent on soaking up all the
vibes that have formed the ‘Great American Soul Book’. Although the album was initially
recorded in Fort Worth Texas by the same Niles City Sound team responsible for
the recently acclaimed Leon Bridges recording, the release has been orchestrated by
Single Locke Records: a burgeoning indie label operating right in the heart of
the Shoals region in Florence Alabama. There is so much local flavour in the
sound and a strikingly directional move for Nicole who had grown into the label
‘Queen of Asbury’ in her native New Jersey. Further delving into the background
events that led to the making of this album help build the picture, but the overriding
conclusion is that the decision to settle in Nashville has worked wonders on
the recording front.
There is going to be a tendency for a logical link to some
of the soul giants, but I’m going to name three different associations that
spill out of many plays of this gem. Stunning opener ‘A Little Crazy’ will accrue many plaudits with its power; even to
the extent of sliding up the vocal range in a very Roy Orbison-style. However,
there so much synergy to when Brandi Carlile cracks open her vocal chords and
this will do quite nicely. Essentially Nicole pours every sinew of energy into
this piece before digging deep into her versatility to ensure the remainder of
the album retains its freshness.
The second association that jumped out was in the acutely
retro sounding title track. It doesn’t take too much online searching to find
out that ‘Goodnight Rhonda Lee’ is a
message to her fading alter ego demon. Nicole addresses this in a classic pop
style and traces of the vocal performance are reminiscent of the fabulous Lindi
Ortega injecting intense emotion into a song. You need to cross the Atlantic
for the final link and how there is a hint of Amy Winehouse’s version of ‘Valerie’
in the soulful ‘Sleepwalking’. This
is one of several tracks where Nicole and her bunch of players get the listener’s
feet moving in a semi-rhythmic way including the horns-influenced soul stomping
‘Brokedown Luck’ and the sweet
hook-adorned ‘Listen Up’.
Of course, Nicole will herself no doubt pay tribute to the
players assembled for the making of this record, of which the finishing touch
was added by Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes. Their influence constructed a sound
track to supplement the vocal element, whilst ensuring the the overall feel
sways between soul, rock and country. The latter is represented by slithers of
faint steel especially in the aforementioned opener, the superbly poignant ‘A Dream Without Pain’ and the
concluding number ‘A Night of Serious
Drinking’, which rolls out as a tender laid back lounger mixing the minimal
twang with some hazy sax.
Elsewhere on the record, the theme hits a very personal note
especially on ‘I Love Living Here (Even
When I Don’t’), a thoughtful piece on her departure from Asbury Park.
Further insight into the mind-set that fuelled this album comes from ‘Darkness Falls So Quiet’ complete with
its rising tempo and theme of loneliness. Nicole really excels in piano ballad
mode for the moving repenting piece ‘Colors’.
A lovely restful mid-album song, which reinvigorates the listener to savour the
second half. Perhaps the one song that lags a little behind the bulk of the
collection is ‘If I Could’, but
probably suffers as a result of its high standard contemporaries rather than
any deficiencies.