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dark cabaret with less sex and more emotion for bourgeoisie sophisticates
In the spirit of the Great Cabaret Revival spearheaded by Amanda Palmer, Nicki Jaine, who toured with Black Tape for a Blue Girl last fall, paints bleak pianoscapes of heartbreak, soul-gutting introspection, disillusionment and inside jokes where, when her finger’s being pointed at someone, four knives are pointing straight back at her. Nicki Jaine’s voice is like bitter, dark chocolate; coating you with soothing syrup while simultaneously leaving a sharp, weird aftertaste. Her unique inflections leave the words slurred and mumbly while her tone retains its crisp, doomy clarity, seeming to come out of a mouth filled with wet pages from a book of hexes. Songs like “Pigeon Named Crow” get pumped up with drums, acoustic guitar and bass á la Nick Cave, while other songs, like “Amsterdam” are slow, simple and stripped down – piano and strings alone. Diamanda Galas and Jarboe could be distant cousins, but no other divas – female or male … ha! – really come close. Although too self-conscious at times (hint: in order to spread a compelling message of gloom, don’t overdo the wallowing) Nicki Jaine’s spare, elegant rendering on the tried-and-trued theme of melancholy is unique, well treated and sophisticated. “Untitled” is the best track.
By Rebecca Vernon
SickAmongthePure
June 2005