Needles & Grooves AoTM /// Vol. 3 - September 2019 /// Nicole Atkins - Goodnight, Rhonda Lee
- Thread starter Teeeee
- Start date
If you unscramble Winston-Salem, Raleigh, & Fayetteville you get:
Meat Loaf it is wnsn-aeytevllerleigh
You guys! Pay attention to the Colonel. He's definitely onto something here.....
Murfocakes
Well-Known Member
I decided to question @Teeeee ‘s dad and see what he thought of this month’s album.
‘So, Mr Teeeee, did you enjoy Angel Olsen/Nicole Atkins?’
Attachments
Omg. I have to show my dad. He actually has somewhat of a mohawk- the radiation killed his hair follicles on one side of his head. He'll love that he's mr. T.
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
Listened on my commute this morning as well. I had not heard the album since its release. Standout track to me was Brokedown Luck.
Several times I felt like the music was a bit too hired gun feeling and didn't fully gel with the singer and even sometimes that the singing was having to adapt to the musicians. I could be off-base, I haven't done my homework, but I'd bet that the musicians on this album are not her lifelong bandmates or anything like that.
The mastering also seemed off although my car is not usually the best critical listening environment so I will withhold judgement for now.
To be 4 albums in I was surprised the singer seems to still be working toward her real potential. I think Brokedown Luck is where she fully realizes it. The popular radio song A Little Crazy also sees strong vocal personality. Angel Olsen did a Song Exploder Episode around Shut Up Kiss Me and she expounded on this same idea that there is a fantasy vocal presentation and on that song she finally allowed herself to embody it.
The song writing is very strong but it has that "brill building" formulaic feel. I didn't know what brill building was before this thread but knowing now that there is a place where song writers go to churn out as many hits as possible in competition amongst themselves is exactly the vibe I'm picking up here. There's not much room for true intimacy or any forgoing of polish in favor of saying exactly the words in her mind. To some degree, there is a trading in of authenticity to buy more public appeal. While I don't think there is inherently anything wrong with this it does tend to be somewhat off putting for me personally. I want songs to touch my soul first and be devoid of any intent for it to be sung along with concert goers holding lighters aloft at the live show.
Still, this album stops short of being fodder for the local line dance. It still has strong folk sensibilities despite being set and paced to make it more widely palatable. The cover art I think is the most clear representation of who Nicole Atkins actually is. There's a great deal of illustrative imagery there I won't go into here that directly reflects the actual singer on this album. Maybe she can one day work with the right musicians to fully showcase that person. There's a great deal of soul with this woman that is clearly aching to come out into this world. I, for one, would love to hear an solo acoustic set of never before heard songs from her.
Looking back over my words I see I've not posted a glowing review. The fact is, I'll buy this album and expect to play it for mostly any audience because it has simple appeal to just about anyone who likes music (very brill, so to speak). It is, to some degree, an Essential pick. It could, given time, become a Classic pick as there is a real timeless aspect that she unearths. There really is nothing superficially wrong with this album. My own critique and concern can absolutely be a product of my own prejudices and lack of art appreciation. I'm open to criticism of my own posting, I'd like to be proven wrong and be able to hear something additional to what I perceived this morning.
Several times I felt like the music was a bit too hired gun feeling and didn't fully gel with the singer and even sometimes that the singing was having to adapt to the musicians. I could be off-base, I haven't done my homework, but I'd bet that the musicians on this album are not her lifelong bandmates or anything like that.
The mastering also seemed off although my car is not usually the best critical listening environment so I will withhold judgement for now.
To be 4 albums in I was surprised the singer seems to still be working toward her real potential. I think Brokedown Luck is where she fully realizes it. The popular radio song A Little Crazy also sees strong vocal personality. Angel Olsen did a Song Exploder Episode around Shut Up Kiss Me and she expounded on this same idea that there is a fantasy vocal presentation and on that song she finally allowed herself to embody it.
The song writing is very strong but it has that "brill building" formulaic feel. I didn't know what brill building was before this thread but knowing now that there is a place where song writers go to churn out as many hits as possible in competition amongst themselves is exactly the vibe I'm picking up here. There's not much room for true intimacy or any forgoing of polish in favor of saying exactly the words in her mind. To some degree, there is a trading in of authenticity to buy more public appeal. While I don't think there is inherently anything wrong with this it does tend to be somewhat off putting for me personally. I want songs to touch my soul first and be devoid of any intent for it to be sung along with concert goers holding lighters aloft at the live show.
Still, this album stops short of being fodder for the local line dance. It still has strong folk sensibilities despite being set and paced to make it more widely palatable. The cover art I think is the most clear representation of who Nicole Atkins actually is. There's a great deal of illustrative imagery there I won't go into here that directly reflects the actual singer on this album. Maybe she can one day work with the right musicians to fully showcase that person. There's a great deal of soul with this woman that is clearly aching to come out into this world. I, for one, would love to hear an solo acoustic set of never before heard songs from her.
Looking back over my words I see I've not posted a glowing review. The fact is, I'll buy this album and expect to play it for mostly any audience because it has simple appeal to just about anyone who likes music (very brill, so to speak). It is, to some degree, an Essential pick. It could, given time, become a Classic pick as there is a real timeless aspect that she unearths. There really is nothing superficially wrong with this album. My own critique and concern can absolutely be a product of my own prejudices and lack of art appreciation. I'm open to criticism of my own posting, I'd like to be proven wrong and be able to hear something additional to what I perceived this morning.
Matt M
Santa Extraordinaire
I'm just waiting for the Cotton Mather clue -
GarbageInGarbageOut
New Member
Murfocakes
Well-Known Member
Day 2 of holidays.
Getting some serious album listening in
So far
Miles Davis - Kind of blue
Mariah Carey - Daydream
Augustus Pablo -King tubby meets Rockers Uptown
Elliott Smith -XO
Soft Cell- Non stop erotic cabaret
Dio -Last in line
Bob Dylan - MTV Unplugged
U2 - All that you can’t leave behind
Prince - love symbol
Gene Clark - No other
Stevie Wonder - Secret Life of Plants
Getting some serious album listening in
So far
Miles Davis - Kind of blue
Mariah Carey - Daydream
Augustus Pablo -King tubby meets Rockers Uptown
Elliott Smith -XO
Soft Cell- Non stop erotic cabaret
Dio -Last in line
Bob Dylan - MTV Unplugged
U2 - All that you can’t leave behind
Prince - love symbol
Gene Clark - No other
Stevie Wonder - Secret Life of Plants
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
Hmm, Atkins confirmed?
"Big singing has always been my thing,” she says – remains the steady anchor. Friend and veteran singer-songwriter Chris Isaak, whose band took Atkins on her first tour in 2007, pushed her to emphasize her voice more in the mix. Isaak co-wrote “A Little Crazy,” a torch song about a real-life ex that balances heartbreak with resilience, and the title track. For Atkins, it was not exactly their first collaboration. “I had [Chris’] poster on my wall when I was in high school,” Atkins says. “I used to jerk off to it every day after school.”
www.rollingstone.com
"Big singing has always been my thing,” she says – remains the steady anchor. Friend and veteran singer-songwriter Chris Isaak, whose band took Atkins on her first tour in 2007, pushed her to emphasize her voice more in the mix. Isaak co-wrote “A Little Crazy,” a torch song about a real-life ex that balances heartbreak with resilience, and the title track. For Atkins, it was not exactly their first collaboration. “I had [Chris’] poster on my wall when I was in high school,” Atkins says. “I used to jerk off to it every day after school.”
How Nicole Atkins Quit Drinking and Discovered Her Inner Soul Singer
Nicole Atkins discusses saying goodbye to her hard-partying ways and embracing her soul-music roots on her most direct album to date.
www.rollingstone.com
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
Oh goddammit!!! It's freaking High on Fire v. Khemmis all over again....
pitchfork.com
Angel Olsen: "Sweet Dreams"
gaporter
Well-Known Member
I like this pick already.
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
*exhausted voice* is this a clue too? Or just you reveling in your evil?
The latter. Hehe
Dark Star Boogie
Well-Known Member
You know Teeeee, the sooner we know the album the sooner we can start discussing and dissecting it. 
Gotta finish my write up!!!You know Teeeee, the sooner we know the album the sooner we can start discussing and dissecting it.
