Review Summary: "Neptune City" is one of the strongest debuts of recent years, and one of the best CDs of 2007. Nicole Atkins' voice is strong, tender, and memorable, and her songwriting is up to par, too.
Nicole Atkins’ music has been labeled ‘noir pop.’ One listen to her major label debut “Neptune City” and you’ll understand why. The album is full of swirling melodies, soaring vocal lines, and surreal undertones that could place the songs in a David Lynch movie; fittingly, she’s listed Lynch as one of her inspirations.
Atkins’ voice is big and bold, a departure from the softer, whispery voices of recent artists like Feist, as well as the more one-dimensional ‘tude singers like Avril Lavigne. In some ways, while standing out, she doesn’t quite fit in—Spin magazine and musicomh panned the album, wishing that she had been more Feist-like and comparing the material to showtunes. Well, these aren’t show tunes (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and this is no American Idol: she’s not belting out hollow notes in a vocal calisthenics routine. Atkins hits some notes that will take your breath away, but is far from a one trick pony.
“Maybe Tonight”, the opening track, is a terrific starting point, a near perfect 3:16 pop song with a catchy chorus and terrific production. It’s one of the more up tempo tracks on the album. Atkins’ voice will grab you with this one, with a little Stevie Nicks and a lot of Cass Elliot mixed into a delightful delivery.
"Together We're Both Alone" is similarly a strong song, but the first of two gems of the album is the third track, “The Way It Is”, which she has performed on Letterman. This is her most daring number, as she shoots for some huge notes that many singers wouldn’t dare touch, and scores mightily. The production is also a plus, full of strange noir beauty.
“Cool Enough” and “War Torn” lead into “Love Surreal”, which, like “Maybe Tonight”, is an up-tempo pop song with a memorable chorus. It’s also one of the most retro sounding of the tracks, sounding like vintage 60’s girl-pop.
And, that leads to the second gem of the album, the title track, which has brought comparisons to Roy Orbison. It’s a dreamy, haunting track. It’s also a vocal tour-de-force for Atkins, who makes angst as beautiful as it could possibly be.
“Brooklyn’s on Fire” switches gears into a louder sound, and “Kill the Headlights” and “Party’s Over”, another 60’s style girl-pop number, lead out the album in style.
“Neptune City” is a near classic album. There isn’t a weak track to be found; instead, the songs alternate between good and outstanding, with the two aforementioned standouts leading the way. At a little under 40 minutes, it leaves you wanting more, which I suppose is better than wearing out its welcome. One of the most impressive aspects of the album is that Atkins wrote every song on the disc; only one (“Love Surreal”) even lists co-writers, which shows that not only does she have a remarkable voice, but also quite a knack for hooks.
Quick guide:
1. "Maybe Tonight" 4/4
2. "Together We're Both Alone" 3.5/4
3. "The Way It Is" 4/4
4. "Cool Enough" 3/4
5. "War Torn" 3/4
6. "Love Surreal" 3.5/4
7. "Neptune City" 4/4
8. "Brooklyn's on Fire!" 3/4
9. "Kill the Headlights" 3/4
10. "Party's Over" 3.5/4
