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Indie-Music.com Review Artist: The Nancy Atlas Project CD: Swagger Home: Sag Harbor, NY Style: Country Rock Quote: "This band is tight and talented and Nancy delivers
the feel with her vocal strength, sweet sounding drawl and clever song
lyrics". By: Les Reynolds Call it roots-n-boots with a kick, country rock, whatever you
like, The Nancy Atlas Project's latest release is a
sweet-sounding combination of gritty vocals, steel and electric guitar, high
energy and confidence. Don't forget swagger. Actually, you'd need to go
through the dictionary to the last definition listed ("self-confident outlook")
and throw out the "cockiness and conceited behavior" because
there's none of that. Confidence, however, is there in ample supply. And why
shouldn't there be? This band is tight and talented and Nancy delivers the
feel with her vocal strength, sweet sounding drawl and clever song lyrics.
Nancy is something like Lucinda Williams meets Joan Osborne. The CD starts
off with the toe-tapping, percussive and accordion-driven "Boots."
The song is soft and flowing and perfect for a Nancy Atlas lyric and vocal
showcase: "These old boots of mine, they've got Too many scratches
they've been Worn everywhere from Montauk to Memphis And in a world of danger
and graceful deceit I stand somehow protected by these old boots on my
feet..." Of course, these lyrics are superimposed on a sepia-toned photo
of a pair of beat-up, high-square-heeled boots with tape on the heels. Interesting note: got a clue where Nancy's from? Observe the towns mentioned in the verse you just read. She
hails from Commack, New York -- so it just makes sense she'd mention a town
in her own state. And it's kinda cool this ol'
country tune would be set in the Eastern half of the U.S. Maybe that shows
that musical style knows no real boundaries. Nancy also shows a bit of skill
on harmonica on "Wake Up Tomorrow," but the real instrumental ear
magnet here is Johnny Blood's lap slide guitar -- drawn out and holding the
tune together like a strong cord. Johnny was also the engineer and
co-producer and did a great job of it. "Symphonies and Serenades"
is an easy, energetic rocker that only gives a hint of what's in store later
in this 12-song release. It's got a "big" wide-open kind of sound
that gives good examples of both the soft and strong sides of Nancy's voice.
Johnny's guitar is also featured, including a cool fast-moving solo riff. The
CD also has some surprises as she launches into a reggae tone on "Galaxy
Eyes" and the band gives a hint of Western swing/Tex-Mex on "San
Gimignano." That latter tune is really gorgeous, complete with a
great-sounding bank of backup harmony. "Little Ol' Me" is one tune
that combines a great set of ingredients for a tasty treat. Nancy's gritty
vocals here bring out the Joan Osborne element, Johnny's spooky electric
guitar sets the tone and we're also treated to some really cool lyrics: "The Devil knows how I like to be kissed He comes on the
days I cannot resist He knocks down my door and takes me Fully on the
lips..." Simple? Maybe, but it's a perfect example of instrumental
arrangement and tonal mood set to match the words. The last tune is called "The Best is Yet to Come."
This one just flat out rocks! Nancy really lets 'er rip vocally and the
guitar playing smokes (there's even a little bit of slide). And maybe placing this tune last, giving us something to bite
into, also makes for wanting more. If the best is yet to come, watch out! |