The title of Jenna Nicholls’ new album The Commuter is fitting in every sense – the story of a journey both musical and personal. In Jenna’s words: “The songs curated here represent a time of transition: from residing in NYC to a new home in upstate NY, from life in a corporate world to finding my voice in a creative one.” The recording signals a departure and a multitude of fresh beginnings: a new producer – multiple Grammy winner Larry Campbell, new record label – Hudson Valley based Royal Potato Family, a lusher sound with inventive, fleshed-out arrangements and an astoundingly wide-ranging collection of original songs.
Hailing from the small town of Irwin, PA near Pittsburgh, after college Jenna set her sights east to test her wings as a songwriter and performer. Initially trying Boston, she ultimately gravitated to the creative hotbed of Manhattan’s Lower East Side forging lasting friendships with other like-minded artists and musicians. Nicholls made three albums on her own dime: Curled Up Toes in Red Mary Janes, The Blooming Hour, and Radio Parade. The albums revealed a restless muse and a theme that would be a constant for Nicholls: a love of vintage music – anything from classic music films like “Singin’ in the Rain” to Bessie Smith.
The Commuter displays Jenna’s melodic and lyrical gifts in full flower. It’s a cinematic trip that takes the listener to 1930’s Parisian cafés, New Orleans juke joints, Tennessee hills and the wide-open vistas of Texas and Oklahoma; even the weekly commute from Manhattan to the Hudson Valley home Jenna created with her husband makes an appearance. “Strung together with a thread of the American experience, this album reflects the great vintage recordings that I hold so dear. With that in mind, I can think of no better person to have worked with on this project than Larry Campbell. Watching Larry’s genius come to life, the fluidity and grace in which he works was a privilege I’ll never forget. The recording, engineering, and performances by the many talented players on this record are astonishing. I’m blessed beyond measure to have been included in their company.”
A fascination with offbeat themes shows up in “You, Me and the Moon” and “No Boots,” both featuring cowboys: “I’d been commissioned to write a musical about Will James, a cowboy/actor/painter who lived in the 1930’s” says Nicholls. “For a variety of reasons, said show never happened. But “You, Me and the Moon” and “No Boots” remain alive and well.”
“Small Talk,” with its swaggering horn driven arrangement, combines Jenna’s present-day outlook with her love of vintage music: “This story began as a response to a Randy Newman song called “Last Night I Had a Dream.” I’d been listening to it on the train one evening on my way home from work in NYC. The first line is “Last night I had a dream, and you were in it” – The curmudgeon in me thought to myself “Thank God because if I wasn’t in it, I’d have zero desire to hear your dream story”. The first line of “Small Talk” is “I don’t care about your dream last night, if I ain’t in it, don’t wanna’ hear It” – and the rest is history.” These and other tunes from Jenna’s repertoire form the backbone of her adventurous and charming live performances. Whether delivered via ukulele, guitar, keyboard, with the occasional whistling or mouth-trumpet solos, Jenna’s songs connect, anchored by her wit and vocal virtuosity.
“The Commuter”, the sole piano feature on the album, depicts Nicholls at her most vulnerable: “I’m hollowed out, rusted through, a worn-out tune that’s been overplayed, still I’m happy as I’ve ever been when you meet me at the train”. The elegiac string arrangement by Larry Campbell compliments both the song’s mood and Jenna’s thoughtful chord choices. “Holy Moses”, a favorite of Nicholls’ live shows, closes the album. The song gets a refresh here highlighted by Campbell’s chiming guitar arpeggios and atmospheric pedal steel playing and Jenna’s powerful yet intimate vocal.
The Commuter communicates the excitement of venturing forth and the reassurance of returning home to an abiding love, something she’ll be doing a lot of as she hits the road in support of the album. It also announces the arrival of an important American songwriter and singer.
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