To record Italian Ice, Nashville artist Nicole Atkins hunkered down in Alabama and assembled a vastly experienced backing band — members of the Bad Seeds were enlisted, as were Spooner Oldham and David Hood, both of whom played with the likes of Aretha Franklin back in the glory years.
That rich legacy seeps into every crevice of the album, which is an assured, if not entirely exploratory journey through retro American sound. Atkins’ voice is something of a time capsule — on AM Gold, her towering tones are reminiscent of classic soul, while on Mind Eraser, the subdued vocals have more in common with eerie 60s psychedelia. Her delivery is malleable, and consistently impressive.
The reverence for these nostalgic styles is unabashed, and can border on derivative; the fuzzy guitar solos, honky-tonk pianos and lush strings have all been heard before. If the songs weren’t so sharply written — the chorus on Forever is supremely catchy — and the instrumentation so well arranged, the album would fall flat. Atkins’ occasionally oddball lyrics add a welcome spring, like her stark yet endearing declaration: “I really like your mouth.”
While there's no great innovation here, there's still plenty of warmth to get wrapped up in.
