With a British heart and a Memphis soul, Bedford-born Danni Nicholls has been carving out her own niche in the Americana scene ever since she dropped her fabulous debut album ‘A Little Redemption’ in 2013. Her strong leanings towards soul were evident from the beginning, although her musical taste growing up included an eclectic plethora of roots genres including folk, country and rock ‘n’ roll (thanks to her Grandmother’s record collection). When she inherited her Uncle’s 1963 jazz guitar at the age of 16, it seemed her fate was pretty much sealed, and meeting producer Chris Donohue (The Civil Wars, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant) through a mutual friend in 2011 was just the icing on the cake.
‘A Little Redemption’ was critically lauded by respected publications and tastemakers spanning the genres, so when it came to making its follow-up, ‘Mockingbird Lane’ (due October 23), Danni had no qualms about working with the same producer and her same old Tanglewood guitar. Still, she had to up her game a bit. Recording the album in Nashville, she enlisted the help of players such as Bryan Owings, Will Kimbrough and Ralph T Lofton, to make a heartbreak record that would incorporate smokey country rock, aching alt country, blue-eyed soul and pure, innocent folk. Bookending the record with ‘Long Road Home’ and ‘Travellin’ Man’, Danni certainly gives the sense that she’s on a journey, a physical one spent on the road touring, in addition to an emotional one.
In fact, most of this record is about being on the move in one way or another. “On the run from my broken heart, if I just keep moving the tears will never start,” she sings on ‘Leaving Tennessee’, a beautiful little folk ditty about running away from heartbreak to try and escape the pain. “I can run, run run, oh but I can’t hide.” On the growling bluesy gospel of ‘Where The Blue Train Goes’ she finds herself in the midst of a broken heart once more, wondering where life will take her now that the path she was on has come to an end.
While ‘Leaving Tennessee’ and ‘Where The Blue Train Goes’ see her moving forward, there are also traveling songs on this record that chronicle her returning. The aforementioned ‘Long Road Home’, a wash of gritty country rock, laments the bravado she left her hometown with, only to be on her way back empty-handed. ‘Back To Memphis’, in a somewhat similar fashion, is an effortlessly soulful tune about revisiting heartbreak in a hometown that holds too many memories. In both instances, Danni is not keen on returning home, despite it being a source of comfort for many. For her final offering on traveling (and the record’s closing number), she takes on the narrative voice of a rambling man who feels like he is finally ready to hang up his boots and “trade in my dreams for dollar bills”, realizing that sometimes the sacrifice just isn’t worth it.
On other tracks, Danni’s pain is more static, as she attempts to learn how to deal with it. On the jazzy ‘Look Up At The Moon’ she reflects on a lover who left that morning, begging them “if you’re lonely, look up at the moon,” in some futile attempt to reconnect. “I held you in my arms but you were never really here,” she sings mournfully. Meanwhile, ‘Between Forever And Goodbye’ depicts the denial stage of grief, as she wonders what happened to make her love leave and insists she’s going to keep loving him. On the beautiful and surprisingly catchy ‘Feel Again’, too, she finds herself wondering when she’s ever going to feel better, and like herself again.
Danni has wisdom from her experiences in heartbreak, however. On the truly charming ‘Let Somebody Love You’ she encourages someone to trust in love despite being burned before, and it’s advice that the characters in her songs could do with paying heed to. In a similarly positive manner, ‘Beautifully Broken’ takes a calm, reflective stance on remembering a relationship, fondly looking back on a mess of a love and finding closure. And Danni has more wisdom on ‘Sad Swan’, as she watches someone headed for self-destruction. “You’re going the wrong way up the river, you haven’t grown your white feathers yet,” she sings, melancholy dripping from her husky vocals.
‘Mockingbird Lane’ is a fabulous record that is a testimony to Danni Nicholls’ rising talent. It’s all too easy to forget that she was born and lives in the UK, something which is certainly to her credit. Her mastery of Americana is impressive (particularly at her young age), her songwriting is tight and authentic, and her vocals are raw and distinctive, bringing each song to life and letting us know exactly who’s singing it. Definitely one to watch as she spreads her wings.
Originally posted here.
