After a nine years hiatus during which she set up her
own record label and kicked off a DJ career, chanteuse
extraordinaire Nicolette finally returns with her long-awaited
third album, Life Loves Us. Born in Glasgo
from Nigerian parents, she spent her formative years
between Scotland and Niger, before moving to Paris for
a while to complete a degree in French, then to London
in the late eighties. That’s where she hooked
up with legendary dance producers and musicians Shut
Up & Dance, who produced her first EPs and her seminal
Now Is Early album, released in 1992, a very
appropriate title for an record that was years ahead
of anything else around. Although the music offered
some totally new perspectives, it is Nicolette’s
unmistakable voice and her capacity to craft incredibly
complex melodies and make them sound totally natural
which became the trademark of her work.
Three years later, Nicolette appeared on two song from
Massive Attack’s
Protection,
and was eventually signed to acid jazz label Talkin’
Loud. Her first single for the label, a re-worked version
of her song No Government, had her labelled
an anarchist by a section of the UK music press, but
the follow up album, Let No-One Live Rent Free In
You Head, definitely established her as one of
the most pioneering artists around. Featuring an impressive
list of collaborators, including Plaid,
Alec Empire, Dego and 4-Hero, the album became an instant
success on the underground scene and contributed to
German imprint K7! re-releasing Now Is Early
and getting the singer to record her own DJ Kicks
Sessions, once again accompanied by Plaid.
Life Loves Us marks once again a change of
direction for Nicolette. Although retaining some of
the atmospheric fundamentals of its predecessors, this
album is definitely more upbeat and openly positive.
Entirely produced by Nicolette and released on her Early
Records label, this album is the fruit of four years
gestation and features twelve tracks plus numerous interludes
inserted in between acting as snapshots of life. Incredibly
varied, yet extremely focused and consistent, this third
album takes the listener on a psychedelic journey through
constantly changing electronic soundscapes, incorporating
elements of soul, jazz, drum’n’bass, pop
and traditional African and Asian music to redefine
once again Nicolette’s musical scope.
Although surrounded by numerous contributors, Nicolette
appears here more in charge than ever, defining the
musical line of this record from start to finish. Opening
with an offbeat cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s
1967 hit Feelin’ Groovy, Nicolette goes
on to attach her subtle poetry onto delicate songs such
as Fine In The Heart, Down Day or
Worship, or onto the more contrasted sonic
terrains of Sunshine, High Wave or
Pretty Autumn Shade. Always trying to expose
her voice in new ways, Nicolette develops her range
further and still manages to surprise and impress. Rising
above broken beats, noisy string sections and intricate
sound assemblages, Nicolette’s voice appears here
more varied and mature than ever. Her melodies are as
complex and subtle as on previous work, yet, seen through
the coloured glass that is this album, they take a whole
new dimension and contribute to this album sounding
extremely fresh and modern.
4.4/5 |
