Nikki Lane
All or Nothin’
New West
★★★★ (out of 5 stars)
On her Dan Auerbach-helmed sophomore LP, this young gun positions herself well as part of the rising new class making Nashville respectable again. On this lush album, her expansive indie country reaches into other genres and eras to emerge as a tasteful intersection of modern and classic. It’s all gloriously American, and it’s stitched and tailored expertly. At the center of the sonorous, orchestral bed of tone and texture is her voice – a big, young-but-worn marvel that blends Neko Case grace with some Loretta attitude. Even with a couple of steps too close to the new-country abyss (“Sleep With a Stranger,” “Man Up”), moments like the gorgeous romantic nostalgia of “Good Man,” the honeyed surrender of “You Can’t Talk to Me Like That” and the pure country-duet perfection of “Love’s on Fire” (with Auerbach) show that Lane’s ready to be taken seriously.
