Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Nicki Kris, NKM Records 2022.
Nicki Kris is a female singer/songwriter based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Heartbeat has been her breakthrough album.
Heartbeat is her third album and it was co-written with her long-time writing partner Kevin McNoldy (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sissy Spacek, Parachute) who also produces her music.
The 14 original songs have been arranged by the two of them and they sit comfortably in the mainstream pop genre.
Nicki’s songs have featured in TV shows and movies as well as appearing on radio playlists worldwide.
She’s also made the official list for the Grammy Awards over the last eight years in numerous categories.
The singles from Heartbeat; Picture Yourself, You’ve Got A Hold On Me, Falling To Pieces, and Captain America, achieved more than a million streams even before the album was released and album sales have further enhanced Nicki’s reputation.
She’s an artist on the rise.
Heartbeat in many ways is a collection of Nicki’s best material.
About half the album is made up of songs that have already appeared as singles or album tracks from earlier releases.
Captain America is an interesting track about ‘The Donald’, former President of the land of the free.
It’s a patriotic rock anthem calling on all Americans to find their inner hero and stand up for an America that is more inclusive, that denounces hate and bigotry, and one that supports human rights.
Nicki’s comment about the song is: “using our voices, our votes, our rights afforded to us by the founding fathers of this country, all together we can make a difference. One voice may not be heard, but millions together will not be silenced.”
As Donald Trump has announced that he’ll be running for President again Nicki may be inspired to write a sequel.
Along with her recording and performance career Nicki Kris also hosts a radio show and she’s recently set up SIM (Sisters In Music) which encourages educational opportunities, collaborative musical works, and performances amongst women.
Heartbeat is the first exposure I’ve had to Nicki Kris and I’m interested in what she’s doing.
