I recently heard a song by Nikka Costa on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Ecclectic, and checked out her stuff on iTunes. I ended up buying her debut album from 2001, Everybody Got Their Something. I really like it because the whole thing has a vibe, it’s very cohesive. Plus, I have a special place in my heart for 1970’s funk music, and she has a great retro sound.
It’s funny, because at times her funk reminds me of Annie Lennox – like on the title track – but other times her sweetness reminds me of Over the Rhine’s Karen Bergquist, like on the track, Nothing. She can be pretty intense, so it’s nice that she can manage to provide a range of emotions and energy in her music. On one track you may find yourself stripped down to your bra, belting into a fake microphone on a stand, then on the next track you may find yourself chilling on the back porch, dizzy from your cigarette and the smooth sounds flowing around you like the smoke hovering over your head.
Not that I’ve done that.
Here’s the aforementioned title track, Everybody Got Their Something: