On May 5th Nicole Atkins releases ‘Girl You Look Amazing’ the first single from her new album, Slow Phaser on hew own label Oh’Mercy! Records / Thirty Tigers, to coincide with a series of shows with Arc Iris.
Feted by Bruce Springsteen, Nicole Atkins follows the UK shows by supporting Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on their forthcoming North American tour. And for the UK shows, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos will join the band on drums.
Luxuriate now in the infectious and humorous ‘Girl You Look Amazing’ video….
‘Girl You Look Amazing’ actually came to Nicole in a dream, explaining "It was being played in a big dance club and David Byrne was singing it. I woke up and recorded it into my phone. It took a while to figure out what “girl, you look amazing” could mean, as I’ve never been one to be that positive. So I wrote it about a girl who is the last one to shut the party down. Whose life is just an absolute mess. She might look amazing, but she misses all the real things that used to make her happy."
Slow Phaser, released April 28th features ‘Girl You Look Amazing’ along with 10 other fantastic songs that make up the neon noir tour de force of hi-def late-night pop Nicole is calling the album. The album marks Atkins' most ingenious and indelibly modern collection to date. Bittersweet yet life affirming, Slow Phaser is Nicole Atkins at her confident and unpredictable best - spirited, sexy, and determinedly forward thinking
“I wanted to make something that no one's ever heard before," she says, "including myself.”
On Slow Phaser Atkins collaborated with veteran drummer/producer Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Cramps, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks), who co-wrote three of the songs and producer Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand, The Cardigans)- with whom she partnered on her now-classic 2007 debut, Neptune City. The album was recorded at Johansson's residential Malmö, Sweden studio and with his able assistance, she devised a compelling new sonic approach, melding psychedelic energy, prog rock adventurism, after hours disco ambience, and the raw emotional purity of the finest country soul.
"It sounds large but not cluttered," she says. "We only used four instruments and tracked everything live. Instead of layering on a bunch of strings and horns and bells, the idea was to try to make everything have such complex melodies that they fit together like a puzzle. Every little bit counts."
Atkins stripped her traditional instrumentation to its core - Johansson handled bass duties, joined by The Cardigans' Lars-Olaf Johansson on guitar, keyboardist Martin Gjerstad, and Asbury Park's own Sam Bey behind the drum kit. Inventive and irresistible, Slow Phaser positively radiates with idiosyncrasy and a palpable sense of fully empowered musical discover
“This record is not only her best yet, but one of the best releases 2014 has offered so far.’‘Nicole’s been compared to everyone from Roy Orbison to Loretta Lynn, but with this latest record, people are going to start using “Nicole Atkins” as a reference point for others.” - Blurt
“When Nicole Atkins sings, she sounds like Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin all rolled into one voice” - NPR
“Nicole Atkins has continued to push boundaries creatively, pairing her warm, distinctive vocals with varied levels of instrumentation and never shying away from catchier, upbeat tunes.” - Paste
“…a New York singer-songwriter with a penchant for creating enticingly mysterious pop-rock…” - USA Today
“…Atkins’s eagerness to explore is a flair for high drama that flatters the dark, full-throated alto she was blessed with.” - Boston Globe
Nicole Atkins and Arc Iris May tour dates
Fri 2nd Manchester Night & Day https://kililive.ticketabc.com/events/arc-iris-special-g-2/
Sun 4th Edinburgh* Sneaky Pete’s http://www.sneakypetes.co.uk
Tues 6th Bristol Louisiana http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_arc_iris.html
Wed 7th London Bush Hall https://kililive.ticketabc.com/events/arc-iris-special-gue/
* Edinburgh show is Nicole Atkins only
Slow Phaser track listing
01 Who Killed The Moonlight ?
02 It’s Only Chemistry.
03 Girl You Look Amazing.
04 Cool People.
05 We Wait Too Long.
06 Red Ropes.
07 What Do You Know ?
08 Gasoline Bride.
09 The Worst Hangover.
10 Sin Song.
11 Above As Below.
Bonus iTunes exclusive
12 As Country Was
To pre order Slow Phaser
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