Review Summary: "These days, I seem to think a lot about the things that I forgot to do…"
Chelsea Girl induces a very delicate atmosphere, one rich with emotionality. The album opens with
"Fairest Of The Seasons", and immediately flourishes with such an exquisite sound. It perfectly acquaints the listener with the overall mood and direction of the album.
"Fairest Of The Seasons" has a gentle orchestration, coalescing Folk music with Baroque elements. Most of the album follows a very soft tone, yet at times it alludes an almost melancholic mood. For example, in songs like;
"These Days" and
"Winter Song", we find Nico taking us to a very a nostalgic place with her every word having us reminisce of both beautiful and heartbreaking experiences throughout our lives.
As the album progresses, we find that Chelsea Girl also reveals an experimental side.
"It Was A Pleasure Then" exhibits an avant-garde composition that is very reminiscent of The Velvet Underground's debut album. Of course, this is to no surprise as most of her ex-bandmates from that particular effort collaborated with her in this album. In fact, most of the music was actually written by renowned artists like; Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and of course, The Velvet Underground. The only genuine contribution Nico has to offer in this album is her voice, and it exhibits such an 'acquired' beauty. Her vocals are stunning, but in a very restrained way. It has this soothing quality, almost ethereal in sound. Nico has a real feel for the emotion behind the instruments and translates them in her own words. This is a truly remarkable album, one blossoming with a delicate intimacy. Chelsea Girl is a window into the fragility of the human soul, with Nico confessing to us all of her self-doubt, failures, and heartbreaks. But yet there is this undeniable presence of optimism that shines on whatever subject the Nico take us into, as if to express that she has learned to be much wiser because of these experiences. I highly recommend this album, as it will be sure to impress anyone who lends it their attention.
