Nicole Atkins - “Captain” (feat. Britt Daniel)

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 8

Pairs Well With…Courtney Marie Andrews, Leon Bridges, Alabama Shakes

Soulful Nashville singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins just released the first single from her upcoming sixth LP Italian Ice and “Captain” is a dreamy classic pop/R&B track featuring harmonies with Spoon’s Britt Daniel. It’s a similar countrified sound as shared on excellent 2017 throwback Goodnight Rhonda Lee, but the modern, slightly psychedelic haze seeping through “Captain” gives the song extra heft and previews Atkins embracing a fuller, warmer sound on this next musical step. (Kevin McStravick) 

2019 Review: Classic R&B/pop vocalist Nicole Atkins utilizes her gorgeous, smoky voice over a variety of modes and collaborations over her decade-plus long career. Her latest record, 2017’s Goodnight Rhonda Lee, is a full-throated collection of throwback soul and rock n’ roll, strikingly authentic and moving, cinematic in quality and vibe. Atkins spent 2018 releasing a variety of covers from Guns N Roses, Ryan Adams and Can - even though she’s covering other’s material, it’s a nice guidepost of where the Nashville singer-songwriter may take us next.

2017 Review: Nicole Atkins’ latest single is “A Little Crazy”, a trip back into classic pop material and an excellent showcase for the Nashville-based artist’s wicked pipes. A string section and a weeping slide guitar embolden a song that sounds like you’ve been listening to your whole life during first spin - there’s an “Unchained Melody” thread, but with a tinge of country, throughout the whole track.