Nikii Davis – Simple Kind Of Woman (Stop, Look & Listen Records).

This is the debut album from Oregon born singer-songwriter Nikii Davis. The list of producers and supporting artists reads very well and shows that Nikii is a force to be reckoned with. She opens with Invisible World and the top class production is there for everyone to hear from the outset. Teja Bell on acoustic guitar is a star but vocally, Nikii struggles to get out of first gear. The introduction of Terry Robb on the eponymous title track gives added impetus. His slide guitar playing is sublime. It is very apparent that he had a say in the arrangement as well. This is blues based and Nikii starts to show some promise on vocals. I Shiver is a Robert Cray song and we get a bit of emotion at last. This classy blues is the best song so far. Nikii goes off on a reggae trip on Over & Over -- pretty standard fare though. Can’t Quit You does have a groove going on but I feel that Nikii is over-pronouncing her words at times. Muddy Waters’ son, Big Bill Morganfield, co-wrote Someone Like U with Nikii but it’s not a blues as you may have suspected. Rather, it’s a glossy middle of the road song that drifts along.

Round And Round is the track of the album. Sly Dunbar makes a telling contribution on drums and Toots Hibbert shares the vocals. When you add Terry Robb on slide guitar then things don’t get much better. Toots also brings in Skyler Jett on backing vocals and between the two of them they bring out Nikii’s best vocal. Sadly we drift back to the middle of the road with the weak When We’re Apart, but the welcome return of Terry Robb lifts sprits somewhat although it is Tod Carver who takes on lead guitar duties on this mid-paced ska offering. Fall Of My Tears falls back into the middle of the road genre but this does have something to build on though. This could be reworked into an excellent blues. She does get back to the blues on Ain’t Going Back but there’s not enough emotion in her voice. Nikii finishes with Shame Shame which is another blues based song. This shuffling, Kansas style blues suits her voice far more than some of the earlier offerings.

As debut albums go this is a fair start. If Nikii can add a bit of grit and emotion to her voice and add that to her already excellent songwriting skills then she has the potential to go far.

http://www.nikiidavis.com/

Copyright David Blue 2006.