Nikka Costa, 'Pebble to a Pearl' (Gofunkyourself/Stax)
Los Angeles soul sprite gives fresh kick to tired R&B tropes.
By Barry Walters 10.09.08 10:16 AM
Having paired with future Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson back in 2001, this Prince-approved dynamo is so ahead of the white-chick, retro-soul bandwagon that she's already celebrating her freedom from major-label shackles. On Pebble to a Pearl -- an authoritative, refreshingly organic pop-funk manifesto featuring musicians who've played with Al Green and Stevie Wonder -- the exhilaration of liberation literally screams from R&B workout "Can't Please Everybody." Such strict adherence to instrumental traditions would stymie a less ballsy singer, but Costa's pissed and righteous lyrics are as vital as her beats are homesick.
Nikka Costa is soaring in the stratosphere of her immense creativity. This girl has more talent in her pinky finger than most songstresses out there today. Her 2008 effort is one of the best r&b albums since the turning of the millenium and taps into the greatness of the heyday of Soul of the 60's and 70's. It's not a gimmick, she lives and breathes it. This little sprite walks in the footsteps of giants and belts it out from the top of the clouds. Someday the world will catch up to her achievement and bask in the glory of her funk soul sirens call.
A worthy achievement by the dynamic Ms.Costa but she has yet to reach her full potential. She remains a talent worth watching. Jason Daniel Baker
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