I'm always intrigued when I get a chance to review a debut album from a new artist. So when I had a opportunity to listen to some songs of Nikki Shannon on her MySpace page and was hooked after hearing a track called "Inner Circle," I decided I needed to hear more.
Shannon's debut album, Too Few, is a mix of stories, each song taking the listener on a journey into a different aspect of the human experience. For example, on "Chocolate & Wine," she sings - tongue-in-cheek - about filling her day with chocolate, wine, sad movies, and friends as she wonders why everything seems so wrong. "Drink," in contrast, contains a simpler story: she likes to drink!
She's been compared to Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, and Joni Mitchell; and like these artists, Shannon is first and foremost a storyteller in song. I can definitely hear Sheryl Crow's influence on a few tracks (especially on "Find It Hard To Question") as well as that of Aimee Mann (on "Under Her Breath"). Even with such influences, though, Shannon possesses a distinct voice, which is perhaps most apparent on "Suffocate," the album's final song.
Recalling her musical journey on her MySpace page, Shannon writes, "It all started on Thanksgiving Eve when I was 4. My mom went to buy a horse but instead came back with a piano." She practiced constantly and, as she grew older, she paid her dues along the way. Homeless for a time, she would sleep in the back of a cab or in a piano bar basement, but she never lost faith in her music.
Each of the songs on Too Few draws on a different aspect of her experiences to include themes of self-empowerment, self-doubt, and humor, making for an album that's easy to identify with. Some of the songs that most resonate with me include "Find It Hard To Question," "Inner Circle," and "Happy," each of which was co-written with her producer, Nunzio Signore, who has worked with a variety of artists - Brian McNight, Katie Neal, and Bo Diddley among them - as both a producer and guitarist.
With Too Few, Nikki Shannon exhibits promise and stands to deliver as both a recording artist as well as a live performer.
Article comments
1 - JoAnn
Nikki Shannon is amazing, refreshing talent and writing. I've been to some of her gigs and she is fantastic in person.
2 - Brian Fitzpatrick
Very cool. Hopefully she'll come to Colorado sometime in the near future so I can listen to her live! Thanks for commenting!