Danielle Nicole – The Love You Bleed
While Ms. Nicole has an intonation similar to the late Amy Winehouse it’s her Genya Ravan (Ten Wheel Drive – “Morning Much Better”) tonality & range that makes these rootsy-bluesy tunes ideally authentic. Right from the start with “Love On My Brain,” she grasps the genre with sassiness & the essential preciseness to project such brassiness. She’s not going the Janis Joplin route. Instead, she’s mastered a somewhat early 70s female R&B vocalist authority that was once the homespun environment of Brenda Patterson, Bonnie Bramlett & Elkie Brooks.
Even on “Make Love,” the soulfulness ripples in a pond of satisfying sound. Even more soulful & genuine is “Right By Your Side.” Each track is accompanied by some Steve Cropper-like lead guitar that only enhances the listening experience. It may be a sound that’s old-hat but when applied the way these musicians are doing – it still has a mesmerizing spell in the ears. There’s a sensitive groove, an intrinsic vibe & it all comes down to the simple comparison of some people who know how to kiss & some people who don’t. These songs kiss.
Danielle Nicole (bass guitar/vocals) has already been acknowledged having secured nominations for a Grammy, charting songs on Billboard’s Blues Chart, numerous blues awards & singing with legendary Dion DiMucci. “Head Down Low,” is a slinky blues. Swampy & humid. The 12-track Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) produced CD The Love You Bleed (Drops Jan 26–Forty Below Records/54:00) is 110 degrees in the shade showcase that blisters bubble gum on the blacktop & buries cola bottle caps into the tar.
Some tunes skip across some cliché-oriented subjects, but Danielle transcends such silliness with her performance ability. No lyrics sound diluted. Ms. Nicole just doesn’t “look” like she owns a voice like this. She covers a wide range of song topics admirably: love, loss, determination & being able to fall in love & not weather the destructive side of such a tightrope-enabling emotion.
Surprisingly, with the acoustic Steve Goodman ballad “A Lover Is Forever,” there are subtle nuances in Ms. Nicole’s tone that suggest Billie Holiday’s phrasing, Sarah Vaughn’s delicacy & Lena Horne’s expertise. Intentional? Probably not. But it comes through beautifully, nonetheless. Then she remarkably slides into a 60s female-pop singer’s melody with “Say You’ll Stay,” & cruises through expressively.
Highlights – “Love On My Brain,” “Make Love,” “Right By Your Side,” “How Did We Get To Goodbye,” “Head Down Low,” “A Lover Is Forever,” “Say You’ll Stay,” “Fool’s Gold” & “Who He Thinks You Are.”
Musicians – Brandon Miller (electric guitar/pedal steel/12-string & acoustic guitars, mandolin & bgv), Go-Go Ray (drums), Damon Parker (organ/piano/synth), Tony Braunagel (percussion) & Stevie Blacke (strings).
CD @ Amazon + https://fortybelowrecords.com/store/p/danielle-nicole-the-love-you-bleed- & https://daniellenicolemusic.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Key to the Highway: Danielle Nicole