Dwight + Nicole – Day or Night
This Vermont-based duo has smooth vocal skills — splendid through R&B, soul, vintage rock & blues with whatever genre may arise between those genres. Dwight Ritscher (tenor/bass/ guitar/keys) & Nicole Nelson (4-octave vocalist/bass) have varied themes that work remarkably well with their vocal collages.
12 tunes constitute Day or Night (Drops March 20/Westwalk Records/40:40) as produced by Joel Hamilton in Brooklyn. The opener has a classic easy-listening tint to Nicole’s tone for “One Morning” & “Beautiful.” A middle-of-the-road ballad that introduces Dwight’s warm cocktail-lounge essence, supported by ’50s-style guitar lines, is also charming. No, Dwight isn’t Johnny Mathis, but does have that relaxing tonality that leaves a martini on your breath, low lights in your apartment & an outside neon blinking on your wall.
What makes these special — they don’t sound schlocky. This type of music can come close to that. But these never do. Dwight’s “Day or Night” is consistent with the seductive voice of Nicole tracking his voice like a colorful ribbon on a high-flying kite. The music’s lounge-delicate with superb, steady drums. This was a popular style in the ‘60s by Ronnie Dove, Len Barry & Lenny Welch.
Nicole returns with “Melt Your Heart,” which has a ‘50s middle-of-the-road spirit. Not as pop-oriented as the mainstream chanteuses of the ‘60s but close. Nicole’s warm tone is sultry, not suggestive. It makes the tune more tailored. Dwight returns with ‘60s male singer stylization on “In the Middle.” But it’s Nicole’s vocal support as Dwight navigates the song that brightens the arrangement.
The duo needs real orchestration. The Enya-oriented vocals & synths on an otherwise lovely “Only You” don’t paint the lyric warmly. And it should. Nicole’s hot “rocker” comes with “Silver Rocket.” It has a slightly funky lead guitar & Nicole’s most fiery vocal display. The best for last: Dwight’s wonderful “Straight Back To You” is solid, moody, mellow & melodic. Nicole’s finest is “On Top of the World” – wow. I played this a few times. Beautiful. Pure. The closer is superb with Dwight’s vocal tenderness on “Do The Best I Can,” & Nicole’s warm, Bird York-style (“In the Deep”) tone is pensive, touching & sincere. An excellent coupling. This is a great duo.
The LP art is designed like retro Columbia jazz records from the ‘50s & early ‘60s. Nice touch. Classy.
Highlights – “One Morning,” “Beautiful,” “Day or Night,” “Melt Your Heart,” “In the Middle,” “Wasting All My Time,” “Silver Rocket,” “Straight Back To You,” “On Top of the World,” & “Do The Best I Can.”
Musicians – Leon Campos & Jon Solo (keys), Ezra Oklan (drums/percussion), Tony Maimone (bass), Sean Walsh (acoustic guitar) & Ali McGuirk (vocals on “Silver Rocket”).
CD cover courtesy of Josh Steele. CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + https://www.dwightandnicole.com/