With a spunky little rhythm as its primary agent of evocation – outside of the sublime lead vocal, that is – there isn’t any part of “Colors” that doesn’t live up to what the song’s title would imply it could sound like. “Colors” sports a performance for the ages without question, but it’s not the only track of its kind to be enjoyed on Human Too, the all-new album from one Nikki Lerner. Taking the best parts of indie pop and neo-soul and blending them into a focused cocktail listeners of all ages can sip from, it should be said that Lerner turns in one of the best alternative records of the year in Human Too.
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The vocal is the most powerful element to behold in “Tell Me,” “Strength,” “Love Again” and the title cut, but this isn’t a knock on the instrumental presence at all – if anything, it’s quite the statement to make considering the powerful performance Lerner’s backing band offer here. There’s so much intensity to the jazzy swing of songs like Human Too’s title track, and yet rarely is there an instance in which our leading lady isn’t dominating the spotlight with her one of a kind voice and the velvety melodies it emits around every turn.
I am in absolute love with the passion we hear from Nikki Lerner in this LP, but this is especially true of the featured live cuts like “Home,” “Welcome to the New” and “Longing.” You definitely don’t have to be a professional critic to appreciate and understand the multilayered artistry that she affords the music whether she’s in the studio or on the stage, and in these particular recordings, she’s at the most exposed we’ve ever heard her be. It’s profoundly affective, and reason enough to give this record a close listen.
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The moderate swing to “What I Really Meant to Say,” the funky “Falling” and surreal “Solomon’s Song” each present Nikki Lerner with a different set of challenges that are a step above the status quo – even for the most talented of vocalists – but she never backs down from the task set before her. On the contrary, she steps up to the mic with a fiery confidence that is frequently as infectious as it is commanding. Lerner doesn’t need anyone’s approval to sound like a superstar here; truth be told, she’s convinced me with every word she’s crooned in this LP.
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Refusing to come into her third album with the same casual attitude that many of her closest rivals in the mainstream and underground alike would, Nikki Lerner delivers her most explosive performance to date in Human Too and makes her latest a legitimate candidate for album of the year. Human Too is a striking, masterfully colorful set of songs that flow into one another as though they together make up a single tapestry as diverse as the American landscape itself. It’s impossible to put down once you’ve picked it up for the first time, and I highly recommend fans of soul, pop and the concept of melodicism in general give it a spin.
Troy Johnston