Memphis Ice by Nicole Atkins
Hailed by UNCUT as “clear-eyed, warm, and stylish,” ITALIAN ICE was among the best albums of 2020, its warmth, vivid color, and a tilt-a-whirl variety of musical grooves providing much-needed positivity in what proved a very difficult year. Unable to tour behind the album’s release, Atkins began hosting a variety show from her attic. “Live From The Steel Porch with Nicole Atkins” soon received support from Amazon Music, with new episodes shot at Asbury Park, NJ’s famed Paramount Theater featuring such special guests as Kurt Vile and the Dean Ween Group.
The back-to-basics performances inspired Atkins to explore new and previously untapped flavors in her own vocals and songcraft. Backed by an ace trio of Dan Chen (piano), Laura Epling (violin), and Maggie Chaffee (cello), Atkins recorded MEMPHIS ICE live in one day at Memphis Magnetic studio, simultaneously filming the performance with painterly shadow and light. The stripped-down, smoky style of both brings all-new emotional vistas to fan-favorite songs like “Domino,” “Captain,” and “Forever,” while opening the door even wider to where Atkins would like to go next as a singer.
“I always thought about my Judy Garland or Liza Minnelli moment coming later in life,” she says. “But after we finished that day of recording, I had so much fun just singing and was so in the moment, I thought, ‘I want to do that sooner, I want to do that for my next record.’ I want to make a record of standards that are new, if that’s possible. Songs that make you feel like you’re singing ‘Stardust,’ but you’re not. I kept thinking that on my first record, NEPTUNE CITY, the songs felt old, but they were new. Why can’t there be new songs that feel like the old standards?”
Indeed, that committed spirit of timeless songcraft has already earned MEMPHIS ICE praise from avowed Atkins fan Elvis Costello.
“Songs don’t stop living when the red light goes out,” says Costello.” “Pulling the colours and curtains from the studio versions of these songs, you find yourself within melodies and their emotions. Borne up by some beautiful playing from the small ensemble, this is some serious singing.”
Tracklist
| 1. | Captain | 3:05 |
| 2. | Mind Eraser | 3:31 |
| 3. | St Dymphna | 3:05 |
| 4. | Domino | 3:37 |
| 5. | Road To Nowhere | 4:27 |
| 6. | Forever | 3:47 |
| 7. | These Old Roses | 2:32 |
| 8. | Far From Home | 3:57 |
| 9. | Promised Land | 3:51 |
| 10. | In The Splinters | 3:23 |
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
New live album Memphis Ice out now!
Here are some nice words from Elvis Costello about Memphis Ice:
“Songs don’t stop living when the red light goes out. Pulling the colors and curtains from the studio versions of these songs, you find yourself within melodies and their emotions. Borne up by some beautiful playing from the small ensemble, this is some serious singing.”