The embodiment of a generation resides within a small woman whose spirit was never tamed. Draped in black lace and shimmying to the downy crush of a tambourine, Stevie Nicks floats among the wilderness of life with an ethereal grace. Representing how a true musician ticks, the ever-composing Nicks releases her latest album merely three years after 2011’s In Your Dreams. Breathing new life into songs written between 1969 to 1987, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault represents an era of love, sorrow, and a myriad of memories kept silent for too long. With the exception of two songs written in 1994 and 1995, Nicks unveils a vulnerability to her lifetime: times of freedom, youth, and new experiences.
Dancing along the lines of a Fleetwood Mac tune, opening track “Starshine” bursts into lively motion. A deeper tone fringes Nicks’ signature alto voice, rendering a slightly lower register with age. Nevertheless, it soothes: whether 1969 or 2014, the voice of a forever-celestial gypsy rings true. “Belle Fleur” emulates this statement with powerful lyrics describing rituals and spiritual connections with “mountain women”. A medley of instruments flows into a cascade of euphony: gentle plucking banjos, electric guitar, and piano.
The jazzy-burlesque tune of “Cathouse Blues” lightheartedly refers to red velvet shoes, rude men, and feline likeness. Coming in at just under three minutes in length, the amusing lyrics and sensual melody provide a fun, if slightly different, direction from the typical Nicks song. Nationally recognized for its somber theme, “Mabel Normand” chronicles the grim life of the famous namesake. Known for working alongside Charlie Chaplin and in numerous silent films during 1910 to 1920’s, Normand battled a terrible cocaine addiction for much of her life. Nicks refers to Normand as “sad Mabel Normand” and “so beautiful” within the song. Interpreting Normand’s life with heartbreaking honesty about fighting “a losing battle”, thoughts of comparison reflect on Nicks’ former battles with drugs. The song is a haunting divulgement of a quiet and harrowing war.
Easily one of the most notable songs of 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault, “Lady” swells with the purity of a ballad that has finally been liberated. Embracing the fear of what lies ahead in life, it is easy to imagine a young Nicks hunched over the ivory keys, straining to release the melody within. The lyrics impose a moment where an unknown future haunts the comforts of the past. A male figure speaks to Nicks in simple, reassuring terms, “Lady, you don’t need to see.” His view of the inevitable future is meant to release her worries and hold her close, encouraging the present in all of her actions. With intense vocal range and provocative key changes, “Lady” compels listeners beyond hitting repeat.
Closing the album with the gentle sway of guitar and flute, “She Loves Him Still” states the classic, unmistakable Nicks: “No one understands this love/no one ever will/till his dying day/not even he, himself can change this/she loves him still.” The quiet simplicity unburdens a depth in which Nicks kept each song safe and waiting for the right moment to flourish. Whether the song refers to her insatiable relationship with Lindsey Buckingham or the loss of a dear friend, “She Loves Him Still” places a final trademark on another Nicks mastery.
There is a serene quality possessed by Nicks, draped in sheer layers of lace, dancing across stages with reckless abandon. Building a path for the women of rock and roll, Nicks left no stone unturned and no experience in the shadows with her latest release. Adhered by innocence and ingenuity, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault spans the priceless years with a promise of many future ones. CrypticRock gives this album 4.5 out 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment