Nikka Costa
Pebble to a pearl

Nikka Costa….she’s been around for a while. I remember her working with Prince, she actually reminds me of Prince in some ways musically. She’s always had a unique sound to me but I’ve never really gotten into her and I’m not sure why.

This CD is being touted as one of her best. I really can’t compare it to anything cause I don’t have any of her other CD’s. But I will be looking into getting them soon.

She’s got a very soulful raspy slightly Janis Joplin type voice. This CD is again a slight throwback to the 60’s and 70’s which I’m beginning to side eye this new avenue music is taking. But I wasn’t like UGH when I started listening to this CD. It’s not as blatant if that makes sense. And her voice just fits every song just right.

It’s a little more mellow than some of the other “throwback style” CD’s I’ve heard here lately. It has a nice bluesy vibe to it with some rock and funk thrown in for good measure.

Overall…I like it allot.

Standout tracks:

Stuck to you
Pebble to a pearl
Cry baby
Keep pushin’
Without love
Loving You
Bullets in the sky

The Foreign Exchange
Leave it all behind

I can honestly say I had never heard of The Foreign Exchange and this is their second CD. And it’s probably because they are rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte (yea dude from little brother) and hip hop producer Nicolay. Y’all know I don’t do hip hop much.

So when they say leave it all behind I guess they mean it. I wouldn’t put this in a hip hop category AT ALL. It’s very jazzy, moody, soulful maybe a touch of hip hop in it musically. But this is not a rap CD at all if that’s what you were expecting. Phonte only raps for a few seconds on a song or 2 on the entire CD. The rest he’s actually singing and he’s not that bad of a singer, to me anyway.

It’s a very smooth CD and it flows really well. I’m rather impressed with this CD and I had no clue what I was getting myself into as I started listening to it.

This CD makes me think of H2O Productions CD’s for some reason, sorry that was a random thought.

So yea I like it I like it allot.

Standout tracks: All of them.

Happy Listening Peeps!

*disclaimer* I apologize if my reviews seem to ramble I write these while I’m at work and people seem to think I’m here to work hehe