I wanted to talk about this artist a long time ago, but I preferred to wait. I wanted to talk about the album that preceded this and it was her great success, the album that put her definitely on the map of American country music: Highway Queen of 2017, but I waited. I told myself an artist of this talent and charisma would certainly come back with new music and new influences to draw on. The wait has been long, 5 years are many in the artistic life of a songwriter, but it was not in vain, indeed I can undoubtedly tell you that this Denim & Diamonds, her fourth album, is her most beautiful, exciting and mature work. Nikki Lane is from Greenville, South Carolina and debuted in 2011, so she’s a veteran of the country scene in Nashville, but probably after touching the real success decided to break away, to get away from the glitter of the streets of music to devote herself to something else. She also did so by founding and opening a clothing store that well represents her called “High Classy Hillbilly”. Yes, because she is such a retro country woman, with a voice that seems to come from a classic country record, with that innate elegance, but that is often “soiled” by highways, bars and the fact of loving the dark side of the Force more than it seems. It is heard in her lyrics and in her music and this record of her much more rock-oriented than her previous production is a perfect example. Produced by the brilliant leader of Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme, the 10-piece album goes from country to rock in a few minutes, even in the same song. The influence that the band of Homme leaves in the sound of Lane is evident, it gave her depth and variety, but he did not take away the poem and in the first song, First High, we realize. Nikki tells us about the first times everybody touches Heaven with an emotion: the first kiss, the first trip on a roller coaster, the first cigarette. All narrated with her voice so magnetic, almost like her blue eyes. A taste of vintage rock, with a beautiful riff in the chorus. Rock does not give up the speakers and the title track takes us with a groove that envelops us sensual as the voice of Lane, sways and kidnaps. The text is a declaration of intent that does not take prisoners, she is independent and does what she wants and if you do not agree… Well, you know where to go. Straight up. Beautiful. There are ballads, and there are, and with a melancholy taste, that taste so damn country. Faded is like this, where Matt Pynn’s pedal-steel paints a sad carpet like a country song from the golden years. Born Tough raises the intensity and the riff is a killer who cuts the air in a fun way and does not leave indifferent, as well as the voice of the Lane so full, so incisive, while talking about her life full of disappointment and anger. An autobiographical piece enclosed in a track that touches on garage rock, what probably shook her youth too. Good Enough takes us to that highway where she was the queen, a sunny and pleasant sound, but in the text Nikki lets slip a confession, probably a hard moment, of discouragement, that almost led her to leave the music: “Sometimes I get so tired, I don’t know if I’ll get home again”. But then the chorus is of a disarming sweetness and positivity and we calm down: Nikki Lane and her pure and genuine talent will not leave her home, her music and her fans. The riff of Black Widow is pure Josh Homme, it scratches and wraps at the same time and the lyrics are the love that Lane has for bad girls. Honestly my favorite piece of the record: fun, with an irresistible groove and with a brilliant lyrics. The work of Homme’s production at its best: enhancing the talent of Nikki Lane, enriching it with new horizons and never distorting it. Beautiful closing with an acoustic ballad with a mariachi flavor, Chimayo, where the singer’s voice enchants and enchants us and leads us to the end of a great record. Nikki Lane in previous works has always had the innate ability to mix the classic country, to which her wonderful voice fits perfectly, to the modern, without ever falling into banality, but perhaps the addition of a really rock touch, a groove really killer, she missed it and the choice of a Homme production, as far as I’m concerned, is the best she could choose. A record that I recommend to all lovers of quality music without reserve, whether you are lovers of the country of the golden years or, on the contrary, you are in love with rock brought to the top by bands like Josh Homme. Nikki Lane and her talent will guide you on a journey that you will not easily forget on the streets of American music, on the other hand she is or is not the “Highway Queen” ? Buckle up and have a good trip, friends!
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(you can find original italian article at this link : https://www.ticinonotizie.it/nikki-lane-denim-diamonds-2022-by-trex-roads/ )
