A somewhat different record to our normal fare, Nikka Costa has produced an album backed by a string quartet entitled ‘Underneath and in between’. A renowned soul singer, Nikka’s resume is such that most aspiring artists would willingly sign a contract in blood in order to emulate it. Not only has Nikka recorded with Frank Sinatra, she has also co-written music with Prince and Eric Clapton and shared a stage with the likes of Beck, Erykah Badu and even AC/DC, the latter cementing the nature of her cross-genre appeal. In short, Nikka Costa is a talented and ambitious musician and her latest album is an extension of her commitment to diversity.
Although the song had been in the band’s repertoire for some time, Nikka’s cover of Prince’s ‘Nothing compares 2 U’ was, sadly, only recorded after his death. An emotional and powerful tribute, not to mention an impressive re-imagining of a well-known hit, the song slips effortlessly between a slinky, soulful verse and a rich, string-laden chorus. Opulent and yet with a rich bluesy vibe swirling amidst the strings, not least thanks to Jeff Babko’s tastefully arranged piano, ‘ain’t that peculiar’ leads nicely into ‘love to love you less’, a Nikka original that first appeared on ‘pebble to a pearl’. Always a sultry number, the strings add an air of fifties whimsy to the track that suits it perfectly and, of course, there’s Nikka’ stunning voice at the heart of it all. One of Nikka’s favourite songs, it’s amazing to think that ‘come rain or come shine’ came about by accident. A result of Nikka finding an arrangement written by her father (Don Costa) for Frank Sinatra, Nikka worked with Jeff Babko to reduce the original 50-piece orchestra arrangement down to a rather more modest quartet and it came out brilliantly. Perhaps aware of the song’s legacy, Nikka sings the song beautifully. You can imagine the hush that must surelt descend over any audience as the first notes of the song appear and Nikka, the lights turned low, pouring her soul into this one magical moment and the result is nothing short of scintillating. Rather more playful, ‘cry to me’ is a stripped back soul number with tongue-in-cheek backing vocals and a sense of fun that will leave the listener smiling from ear to ear. It’s a pleasure to listen to (as is the whole album) and the production work of Justin Stanley and Bob Clearmountain is exemplary. The first half concludes with ‘Arms around you’, an emotional and warm piece of music that wraps its arms around you like a musical comfort blanket and lets you know that whatever the circumstances, you’re not alone. It
Opening the second half of the album, ‘headfirst’ is a remarkable piece of music that recalls Bjork with its awkward time signature and avant-jazz feel. It’s a highlight and a truly adventurous piece of music that reveals just how unwilling Nikka is to remain constrained by genre. It would be wonderful to hear Nikka develop this side of her work because it’s a mesmerising track that repays repeat plays with considerable generosity. Next up is a track that was arguably made for Nikka. Written by the late, great Jeff Buckley, a genius song-writer whose dense, lush arrangements are perfectly suited to Nikka’s interpretation, ‘Lover you should have come over’ pays homage to that bright talent and showcases, as if any further proof were needed, Nikka’s versatility. ‘Silver tongue’ is based around a poem that Nikka sent to Prince which he then turned into a jazz song. Released as a B side to ‘Call your name’, the track is one of Prince’s lesser-known efforts and it fits perfectly into the track list of this smoky, soulful record. With the album drawing to its end, ‘don’t let the sun catch you crying’ is a late-night song that sees the whiskey levels running dangerously low and swirls of smoke curling lazily past the blazing stage lights. The band are still playing but the audience are now lost in a reverie of half-formed memories drawn ever deeper down the path of recollection by Nikka’s endlessly beguiling voice. The album concludes with ‘Stormy weather’, a beautifully rendered performance of a song once performed by Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall. Nikka, in the liner notes, worries that she won’t do the song justice, but she needn’t have. Her voice is silky, the arrangement glorious and it makes for the perfect finale to the album.
In all honesty, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Nikka Costa and Strings. On the one hand, I knew that her voice, a thing of sultry, soulful wonder would retain its power no matter the setting. On the other hand, string arrangements can be notoriously tricky with the temptation always being to swamp the music. However, Jeff Babko is a master of restraint. Throughout the album his arrangements augment the music without ever overpowering it and the result is an album that is purely timeless in its appeal. There’s an intimacy here that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a studio recording and Nikka imbues each and every track with her own warm personality. Utterly bewitching, ‘underneath and in between’ is a rich, varied and beautiful album that will entrance the unwary and leave them mesmerised for its duration. In an increasingly hurried world, ‘underneath and in between’ offers a moment of calm. 10
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