Nicole Atkins has a robust, sultry voice that conveys vulnerability and confrontation, seemingly without effort. Imagine if Patsy Cline were the lead singer for The Shangri-Las, or if k.d. lang had been raised on Bruce Springsteen and '80s hair-metal instead of country music.
Atkins' debut album, Neptune City, finds the New Jersey singer-songwriter bending genres to her will. A twinkling piano line opens "Maybe Tonight" as Atkins begins to swathe her noir-pop voice around silky string arrangements and girl-group rhythms. Within seconds, her scorching vocals capture the song's urgency: "I know we'll meet again / Maybe tonight / Just tell me where and when / I know it's never sure / Maybe tonight." As catchy as it is, it's hard not to root for Atkins finding what she's looking for — both in the song and in her immensely promising career.
Listen to yesterday's 'Song of the Day.'
Copyright 2008 XPN
