Mondo Amore

Nicole Atkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B004C0SPNI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,866 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Darkly laced, almost surrealistic songs and her soaring, dramatically powerful voice. --The New York Times 2/9/11

Nicole Atkins' second album is an exercise in what you might call brunch blues: Dreamy, vaguely melancholic, thoroughly pleasant. The New Jersey-born singer-songwriter has a forceful and unfussy singing style that brings welcome drama to sleepy Fifties throwbacks like "This Is for Love" and rises to a wail on more agitated, roots-rock-inflected numbers like "Vultures" and "You Come to Me." Atkins' lyrics describe insatiable wanderlust and the travails of mixing up with no-good dudes she falls for one on "Cry Cry Cry" and offers others hyperspecific advice on "Hotel Plaster." "Don't shake the change out of your pockets in the boudoir," she instructs. Noted! --Rolling Stone 2/8/11

Nicole Atkins is the kind of classic pop singer who could have been a megastar at any point except the last five years. She has a huge, rangy voice flecked with soul that sounds great atop broken-bottle slide blues ( My Baby Don t Lie ), wine-sloppy piano ballads ( Hotel Plaster ) and even an unexpected stab at X-inspired surf punk ( You Come to Me ). Maybe the handmade breadth and skill of Mondo Amore can catch a commercial slow burn like that of her onetime tourmates the Black Keys. But it s rough out there for a firecracker female singer for whom Auto-Tune is merely what you do to your pink Cadillac every 3,000 miles. Neko Case is probably the best reference point here, and Atkins band nails the same kind of grain-silo reverb and guitar tremolo that give tunes such as This Is for Love their weight. But she s at her best atop the tear-blotted strings of War Is Hell, which give her room to sing for the rafters and bend the song into unexpected chord changes. There isn t a clear standout single, but Mondo is sturdy, well-arranged pop that old crooners and hipster blues brothers alike can claim as theirs.-- August Brown
Nicole Atkins
"Mondo Amore"
Razor & Tie
Two and a half stars (out of four) --The LA Times 2/8/11

Product Description

It s been a tumultuous three years since the release of Nicole
Atkins acclaimed 2007 debut, Neptune City, but the wait has
proved worth it. Mondo Amore is a courageous, provocative work,
fraught with dramatic tension, sweeping emotions, and musical
ambition, with Atkins remarkable voice commanding attention at
the forefront. Daytrotter described Atkins recent session as a
pretty soundtrack to violent waters, which the New Jersey-born
singer/songwriter sees as a spot-on portrayal of the album itself.
On Mondo Amore, Atkins goal was to create a more volatile sound
than she had previously attempted, a sonic approach akin to such
influences as Scott Walker and Nick Cave, while also touching on
longtime inspirations like the blues and classic 60s psychedelic rock.
As its all-encompassing title suggests, Mondo Amore is a big, bold
collection, a grandly romantic song cycle fraught with all the
passion, anger, tenderness and devotion of Atkins own
extraordinary heart.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicole Atkins leaps forward with Mondo Amore amidst struggles February 27, 2011

By J. McLean

Format:Audio CD

I cannot believe the negative reviews of this album on here, especially the 1-star review. I listen to a wide variety of music and Mondo Amore has been a constant in my daily rotation since I bought it over a week ago. These songs are anything but bland and boring. This album is different than Neptune City, but it is far, far better. While I like Neptune City a lot and think it was a strong debut, in my opinion it sometimes borders on being overly poppy/produced (it is saved from this by songs like The Way It Is and Neptune City). Mondo Amore is completely different in tone and is more raw. It is clear from the first song that life was a bit troubled for Nicole while writing this album (Columbia Records and she split, she and her long-term boyfriend split, and her band left her). Lucky for us fans, the emotions that accompany life's tribulations often bring out incredible works of art - and that's exactly what this album is.

Admittedly, it is not as easily accessible and radio-friendly as Neptune City. It is a significant change in tone, but the tone works in the album's favor. These songs are well-crafted, incredibly well-written, and most importantly they are moving. The music is catchy without being bubble-gum, and the lyrics are powerful and beautiful. Atkins has an amazing ability to really give the listener insight into her emotional psyche through music, her unbelievable voice and poignant lyrics. Her music on Mondo Amore makes you really feel something; it gives catharsis without relying on played out cliches or unthoughtful lyrics. These songs blend blues, country and rock qualities and come off as original and rich. The production is also superior to its predecessor and allows Nicole's voice to really shine. It is difficult to pick out single songs to highlight, but to me they'd be Vultures, Cry Cry Cry, You Come to Me, My Baby Don't Lie, Heavy Boots and The Tower (yes I realize this is over half the songs on the CD - they're all great). I simply cannot recommend this enough, I haven't been able to stop listening since downloading it. She is no doubt on her way to a successful career.

I also saw Atkins live last week in Boston. If the previous reviewer felt her voice was less than full-strength in Toronto, it was because she was sick, as evidenced by her drinking tea (not Jameson, as she noted) throughout the Boston show. But - she still goes out there and happily puts on outstanding shows. I didn't think her voice suffered at all, she had personality and interacted with the audience throughout. Don't take these lame reviews at face value; buy this and try it out for yourself. And if you have the chance, definitely see her live. The beauty of her voice just cannot be fully experienced through mp3 and she's a delight to watch. She presents high-quality, personally written music - something we don't see enough of these days. Buy Mondo Amore then go see her live! There's a great review of her Boston show in the Boston Globe.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More upbeat than her debut. April 13, 2011

By H3@+h

Format:MP3 Music

I remember when I first became a fan of Nicole. I didn't hear her, I saw her. But that's a different review. She was in a band, or fronted it Nicole Atkins and The Sea. That former album Neptune City was more 50's soul-ish. This album has got a blues-rock Americana thing goin' on.

The tracks I'm diggin' most are "You Come To Me" with it's surf vibe. "Hotel Plaster" is a nice piano ballad. "Vultures" is a great lead-off song with a dark rock groove. "My Baby Don't Lie" is a bit country, a bit Stones. "Heavy Boots" builds slowly, and "The Tower" has got some killer solos.

Alot of this album is just basic blues-rock fun. It's not hard to believe she toured with The Black Keys at one point. If only she'd open for me. Oh, and great voice too. Surprised she's not better known.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Real music April 4, 2011

By B. Massey

Format:Audio CD

I heard this playing in a store and was compelled to ask what it was. Then I got it. I've never heard of Nicole Atkins before today, but this just about blew my head off.

Since keyboards have widely replaced instruments and Labels now prefer to manufacture Groups rather than sign them, genuine songs have become rare, and genuine artists even rarer. Without so much corruption in the music industry, perhaps most chart music would be on par with this album. Alas, this is unique, a piece of gold amongst a sea of garbage.

I could meticulously go through the album, saying 'This song is better than that one' etc, which is the case with most albums, but as a whole, musically, it's all excellent.

Nicole's voice is amazing. One of the best I've ever heard. The backing is terrific, real musicians, excellent compositions, first class stuff. The mix is also superb. It all feels very fresh, very original, whilst being musically authentic. Not 'trying' to be new, just being new. I'd like to mention that I got Radiohead's new album a few days ago too (After a lot of anticipation.) Monde Amore blew it apart. If there's justice in the world, this will become hugely popular.

If anyone who worked on the album reads this, I just wanna say thank you. You've restored my faith in music.

^^