The album: Goodnight, Rhonda Lee
The artist: Nicole Atkins
Why did I pick this: I knew when this club was started that I would choose an album by a woman artist that was not hugely discussed on the forum. I waffled among a few picks (Electrelane was my #2 pick but the album I wanted is not cheap to find). And I just kept coming back to this album. I first listened to it when it came out in 2017 and immediately liked SOME of the songs. With so much music out there now, I found myself putting down the album and kind of forgetting about it for several months. But there was an earworm on the album that kept playing over and over again in my head. At first, I didn’t know what song or even what artist my brain was singing to myself. Then I realized, it was “Darkness Falls So Quiet.” “When I come back home, I sing stories to the, Shadows on my walls…” That part, over and over again in my head. So I went back and listened to the album several more times. And gosh damn, that song writing got into my blood and hasn’t left. This album is a grower. You’ll connect to some of the songs immediately but the rest will take a bit of time to sink in.
Every end of the year, I compile a playlist of my favorite songs of the year. I used to burn it to CDs and put it in my family’s stockings at xmas. Nowadays, they get a playlist. 2017 had 2 songs on it from this album: Darkness Falls So Quiet and Sleepwalking.
In the summer of 2018, a huge group of my family and friends got tickets to go see the Avett Brothers at Wolf Trap. Lo and behold, Nicole was opening! I made everyone in our group get to the venue in time to see her. Everyone enjoyed her, a lot. After her set, I went to the merch table. Nicole was at the table. I stood in line, patiently waiting for the people in front of me to HURRY THE EFF UP AND LEAVE! Lol. I got to the front and before I could say anything, Nicole said, “Do I get to sign your cast??” I had broken my wrist and was in a red cast. She saw me waiting with my cast and that is the first thing she said. I told her that is exactly what I wanted her to do! I told her the story of how I fell, how the hounds took themselves home and abandoned me in the mud and rain, in my pjs, with my dignity washed away and how Sarge stayed by my side. She signed my cast (pic to come).
We spoke a little more. She told me she was heading overseas the next morning on an early flight. This is where the typical Teeeee making an ass of herself comes in: I asked her if she thought she might be too hungover to catch the early morning flight. Oops. She was gracious about my stupidity. My stupidity will become more obvious if you read this article about what this album is about:
Review: Nicole Atkins, 'Goodnight Rhonda Lee'
This album has a lot in it. Some soul, Brill building sounds, a little wee bit of country, some killer piano fills and that voice. Hopefully you will find something you enjoy in it. Some of the highlight tracks for me:
A Little Crazy – a stunning vocal performance. You can definitely hear the Chris Isaak influence in here. The slide guitar and soaring strings.
Darkness Falls So Quiet – I love how this song feels like it could speed up at any point but Nicole’s vocals are keeping it in check. And her voice cracking in the chorus is sublime. The piano!
Listen Up – Nicole singing to herself to listen to the lessons she’s had to learn in life. The breakdown in this song is perfect.
Goodnight, Rhonda Lee – Nicole’s farewell to her destructive alter ego.
Colors – Nicole’s acknowledgement that quitting drinking may not be that easy of an undertaking:
Everywhere I go
The only things I see
Are glowing brown and green
The bottle’s gonna kill me
Brokedown Luck and
Sleepwalking – just straight up jams.
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