Customer Reviews

Nicole Renee

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1998 saw the debut album of a then 23-year-old singer named Nicole Renee. Unlike the rest of the assembly-line twentysomething female vocalists out there, Renee impressively wrote her own material and played guitar on the album. An impressive collection of Prince-inspired funk, "Nicole Renee" fell on deaf ears, as is the case with almost all albums as bold as this. That's probably because her voice is an acquired taste and may require some getting used to. The steamy "Telephone" alternates between rock and funk and has our heroine singing in an apparrently altered voice that best recalls Prince's alter ego "Camille." Other standouts include "Rocking Chair" and "Boy Next Door." But the best track on the album is the single "Strawberry," a mid-tempo jam that swings between pop and r&b. Renee can probably perform rings around her multiplatinum peers, but she never had the luxury of a hype machine to help her get the recognition she deserved. But it's not too late to discover this artist who was one of the most slept-on singers of 1998.

Just for a moment, forget that this is a debut. This album is plain incredible. Few albums are worthy of five stars; the list is very short. And "Nicole Renee" shows maturity, substance, a variety of styles, giving us rockers, soulful tunes out of the 60s/70s, funky offerings and ballads -- all styles she handles with both passion and ease. Now, know that this was her debut and the album is that much greater, but sadly, it's been her only album. Perhaps she was lost like many great artists are amidst the pop junk, amidst the mainstream, which only goes for the flavor-of-the-week, and those artists/albums that don't sound like everything else get lost, slip through the cracks and sadly, we don't hear from those artists again. Seems Nicole Renee is one of those victims of a mindless society. Find this album if you can, it's a true gem, one of the few great albums to come out of the mid-to-late 90s. Nicole Renee, we miss you.

I love this album, I really do.The onyl reason I deducted one star was for the three songs I just dont like, the top one being Cocaine Lane..Girl is brave, the vocal runs she attempts almost head for disaster but somehow she pulls threw and comes off as quite skilled. I love Strawberrys,Aint Nothin Changed,Heaven, and boy next door. I however know that this is nto an album for everyone.Myself however, loves it

I remember running 2 the wrecka stow back at 98 2 buy L-Boogie's "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill" and this one after watching the "Strawberry" video. To this very day, I don't think I ever enjoyed such effort. Nicole can write and read music which is obevious if you listen more, homegirl is influenced by Sly Stone, Mick Jagger and Mr.Prince Roger Nelson too(whom he made a very solid influence in her music) but that doesn't mean you don't hear her get in touch with her own musical idenity. According 2 allmusic.com the last effort she appeared in was Anastacia's "Freak of Nature" where she appeared as a mixing engineer. This sistah is bad as hell, the only thang we DON'T need from her is the "backstage" work, more album and a career more likely. Greedy? Maybe, but if you listened to this LP then you'll feel me.

This is one of the most exciting debuts. It sounds a little funky Prince and very soulful. Very satisfying album.

I don't know why Nicole Renee isn't getting more attention, sales and air time. This is a great album with a lot of variety (and as others have noticed, Prince influence). I also find an odd "country" influence in the subject matter of the songs. Also find some similarities to the new Monifah album. My favorite tracks are Wickedness and Memorabilia.

Nicole Renee's talent as a song writer really comes through on this debut CD. Her music and vocals definitely have a Prince influence and flavor. I want to start out by stating that Nicole has excellent range and a very nice voice. Nicole's vocal techniques, however, can really sound good on one song, and not so good on the next. You kind of get used to her high pitched squealls/growls towards the end of the CD, but it is a shock to the system in the beginning. On the really good songs, she seems to stay on track with the lead vocal, which is always backed by excellent harmonies. On the OK songs Nicole uses some vocal gymnastics that borderline disaster at times. But thanks again to great harmonies, you kind of get through these songs without hitting the skip button on your CD player. My favorite songs on this CD are Rockin' Chair, Sound of Love, Strawberry (best on CD), Wickedness, Heaven, How many times, Let Me Go, and The Boy Next Door. Definite throw-aways are Telephone, and Cocaine Lane. This CD would have been better if it only contained her best 8 or 9 songs, but this shows that she is a true Prince fan. Nicole also shows on this CD that she is very talented has a distinct sound that is like no other female artist. I am looking forward to CD's from her in the future.

Where has this girl been hiding? She's like a mixture of Prince and Erykah Badu wrapped into one. She has an incredible range and her writing style is awesome. This self-title debut album takes you through a variety of moods...it's sexy, funky,and definitely cutting edge. Nicole Renee is busting out on the music scene in a big way. A must buy!!!