Brooklyn singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins swayed into the Magic Stick Lounge on Wednesday night. While Skinny Puppy raved up the Majestic Theater and Haunted House blitzed through the Garden Bowl, the vibe in the lounge was much more laid back as Ms. Atkins treated the intimate crowd to beautiful, dreamy and vaguely melancholic set.
Atkins is touring in support of her latest release Slow Phaser, and pulled some choice tracks from the album to kick off the set, including "Girl You Look Amazing." Looking a bit like Zooey Deschanel on stage, Atkins has a sultry low purr comparable to Stevie Nicks or Lana Del Rey that is capable of exploding into soaring, room-filling vocals at just a moments notice.
Her eclectic backing band was air-tight. The Asbury Park-based rhythm section was solid yet bouncy enough to keep the crowd nodding and dancing. But it was keys player Zach Tenorio Miller, whom Atkins borrowed from superb opener Arc Iris, that really set the tone. Nimbly moving between funky space synths and subdued textures.
Take a listen to Slow Phaser right here.
