SUN RECORDS 18th September 2026
What a voice! Big, soulful, creamy and tied up with immaculate musical taste. From the outset, there’s a sense of the sixties but not a slavish re-creation, more of an aesthetic borrowing of the best aspects from this Nashville-based singer-songwriter. Thematically, these are songs of loneliness, late-night acceptance, regret and the general angst of being a human in a relationship. Musically, these are dramatic arrangements of big tunes that swing, pulse and beat like a heart.
Joyfully issued on an imprint of legendary Sun Records, the album is released by Chris Isaak, who encouraged Atkins to record it. Nicole apparently didn’t need a lot of encouragement, getting the recordings down in four days, including a collaboration with the ‘Wicked Games’ star. The result is great pop music, stood outside of time and classic. “I’m not trying to rehash or celebrate some bygone era,” she says. “I’m just taking what I like melodically from the past, and channelling it into my songs. I like to make them deeply personal. The question I come back to is – how do I make this sound exactly like me?”
The opener, ‘Trippin’ on Teardrops’ has a big chorus, big drums and a big voice. All the Sixties pop tropes are there and it’s a big girl-group pop rush. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the day” – indeed. Not all the sounds are vintage and Nicole’s smoky voice has synth alongside it on ‘Singing in the Mirror’, which has some (Taylor) Swiftian lines. (Kiss me) ‘Like a Stranger’ is silky smooth with a gentle beat and comparatively spare backing interjections.
‘Cue the Symphony’ is a duet with Chris Isaaks; grandiose, with twangy guitar and big string songs. It is succeeded by a big hopeful beaty banger that swings along on swivelling hips, ‘Like It’s The First Time’. A quiet moment towards the end with husky spoken voice is wonderful, allowing the return to tune to soar. ‘For No One’ is a belter ballad of the sort Shirley Bassey used to specialise in – it would be great as a Bond theme! It helps that she’s recorded this album with her touring band – it makes for a swinging sound from people who know each other. ‘Danny’ is another banger – big Sixties beat, girly Greek chorus for emphasis and the album wraps on a more gentle number, tripping out on a quietly melancholic piano and guitar ballad.
It’s a joyous celebration of timeless music making, borrowing only from the best and framing a gorgeously rich voice.
Ross McGibbon