Nicole Atkins Bio
November 2014
A neon noir tour de force of hi-def late-night pop, Slow Phaser marks Nicole Atkins’ most ingenious and indelibly modern collection to date. Produced by Tore Johannson (with whom Atkins collaborated on the now-classic Neptune City) at his Malmö, Sweden studio, the album is a milestone for the acclaimed singer/songwriter, her restless creativity fully realized via the addition of some surprising colors to her already diverse paintbox. Songs like the sultry “Red Ropes” and the poptastic first single, “Girl You Look Amazing” positively swirl with day-glo danceability, the bright hues setting Atkins’ distinctive creative voice in a luminous and undeniable new light. Bittersweet yet life affirming, Slow Phaser is Nicole Atkins at her confident and unpredictable best – spirited, sexy, and determinedly forward thinking.
Slow Phaser was greeted by the most ecstatic notices of Atkins’ much-admired career, with The New York Daily News’ Jim Farber declaring it “a super-catchy, highly danceable argument for Atkins to be seen as one of the great swaggering women of rock. In her snarky huff, Atkins recalls Chrissie Hynde. In her New York mix of hauteur and humor, she brings to mind Debbie Harry… Her voice ties it all together, with a sound sure enough to let the vulnerability of her words proudly show… Gleaming in tone, piercing in volume and unstoppable in attitude, it rips right through you.”
Elsewhere, USA Today applauded Atkins’ “penchant for creating enticingly mysterious pop-rock.” “When Nicole Atkins sings, she sounds like Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin all rolled into one voice,” enthused NPR (with host Scott Simon complimenting her for possessing “a voice that could melt the heart of a devil. Sense of humor dryer than a drought…”) The Boston Globe praised Slow Phaser’s “immaculate popcraft” and commended Atkins for “releasing three remarkable albums.” “Nicole Atkins has continued to push boundaries creatively,” declared Paste, while The New Yorker singled out “Girl You Look Amazing” as “the rarest of things: a nutritious confection.”
In the UK, The Daily Mirror awarded Slow Phaser four stars, noting the album “bursts with attitude and vitality… (Atkins’) lustrous vocals, irresistible swagger and compositional ingenuity excel here.” Atkins has been “blessed with a siren voice of innate and intricate grace and restraint,” noted The Sunday Times, adding, “Buy this.”
“For all of the twists and turns in musical directionsSlow Phasertakes, Atkins negotiates them all with remarkable ease and dexterity,” wrote The Line of Best Fit. “Just like her songwriting, her singing has developed and matured.” “Slow Phaseris a big step forward for Atkins,” exclaimed Blurt. “Lyrically her songs have never been better, and couple that with her throaty, soothing vocals and the orchestra pop music backing and this record is not only her best yet, but one of the best releases 2014 has offered so far.”