musicomh.com
album reviews
Remi Nicole - My Conscience And I (Island)
UK release date: 3 December 2007
3 stars
Remi Nicole - My Conscience And I

buy this title


track listing

1. Go With The Flow
2. Rock N Roll
3. New Old Days
4. Fed Up
5. Na Nighty
6. Lights Out
7. Tabloid Queen
8. Right Side Of Me
9. Go Mr Sunshine
10. Soulback
11. Dates From Hell
12. Inside Of Me

buy music
Cheeky London street urchin minx with songs about blokes and how crap they are and other such irreverent 'revelations'. So far, so Lily Allen.

Thankfully we are spared the satanic touch of Mark Ronson drenching everything in his cheesy-listening hell (that has been clogging up the arteries of the charts like bad fondue). Remi has chosen a more visceral rock production that lets the songs skip and growl like a dog borstal mongrel.

The latest strumming 'chavette' packs a bit more punch especially in the opening salvo of Go With The Flow and Rock N Roll. Both are powered by freshly-laundered punky pop strumming and are packed to the hilt with hooks and smart one-liners. Rock N Roll takes a swipe at folks presumptions that this half London/Trinidadian would be into R'n'B instead of Oasis: "I got no rhythm and I got no blues, I'm as happy as can be", while Go With The Flow sums up her career trajectory to date.

The sun splash good vibes of New Old Days contrasts a light reggae lilting verse to a guitar thrash chorus which harks back to her innocent school days (watching Grange Hill and early hip hop) and "people asking 'will you go out with me' you'd say yes I'd love to and you meant it", before the onslaught of irony and 'whatever' culture.

The bruised acoustic Fed Up deals with the perennial problem of crap boyfriends, leading swiftly into how to bin them with the exit song of Na Nighty. On the same theme, but with its tongue firmly in cheek Dates From Hell catalogues the losers and gropers that have crossed Remi with a sprightly wink and a longing for 'somebody decent'.

It's on Lights Out and Right Side Of Me that the front of tomboy attitude is dropped for two simple heart-baring love songs that share a gentle melodic pull that ain't gonna win any originality prizes but could soundtrack a lighter-waving audience in need of some simple solace.

Tabloid Queen takes a pop-punk swipe at the media slag-bags selling the world their lives and their drugs with little regard for promoting individuality: "you read heat magazine...it's the glossy magazines and the tabloid thugs that bully you to diet and taking drugs". Soulback with its tale of the soulless McJob culture evens peddles shimmering psychedelia in its Dear Prudence-style guitar (albeit in a polite polished way).

The lost summer-hit Go Mr Sunshine feels that with its strident stomp has a determination that could chase the clouds away and a bruising eye for detail that "the girls have to market themselves, cause in winter they'll be left on the shelf". It could be the 'noughties' spiritual twin of ELO's Mr Blue Sky in its positive kicking of arse and bloody-minded hook-driven pop.

For an enjoyable 'kickaround' of an album this is a cheeky little blighter that will continue to tickle ears, raise a smile and brighten any listen for a while yet. Remi has a sweet voice and a way with her words that shows brains, but occasionally the songs veer into slight whimsy that can sound a bit samey. Let's hope she avoids the rehab and curse of fellow 'MySpace-cadets' to endure. She deserves it.


  share with:  Facebook | Digg | other sites




albums released this week:
The Feeling - Join With Us
Sheryl Crow - Detours
Pete And The Pirates - Little Death
I Was A Cub Scout - I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope
Kyte - Kyte
Tegan & Sara - The Con
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Monade - Monstre Cosmic
Dusty Rhodes & The River Band - First You Live
Open The Skies - Conspiracies

albums coming soon:
The High Wire - Ahead Of The Rain
The Maple State - Say, Scientist
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

recent releases:
Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia - Pain Disappears
Bob Mould - District Line
The Mae Shi - HILLYH
Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds
Envelopes - Here Comes The Wind
Simon Breed - The Smitten King Laments
One Night Only - Started A Fire
Morrissey - Greatest Hits
The Boggs - Forts
Daniel Wylie - The Very Best Of Daniel Wylie And Cosmic Rough Riders
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static
Morcheeba - Dive Deep
American Music Club - The Golden Age
The Duke Spirit - Neptune
Dawn Landes - Fireproof
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings Of
Robots In Disguise - We're In The Music Biz
Mary J Blige - Growing Pains
Dead Meadow - Old Growth
School Of Language - Sea From Shore
Gregor Tresher - A Thousand Nights
Various - Controversy: A Tribute To Prince
Adele - 19
Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Sons & Daughters - This Gift
Joe Jackson - Rain
These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers
All Our Good Friends - Promise
Clark - Turning Dragon
Let's Go Outside - A Picnic With The Hunters
Black Mountain - In The Future
Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavendar Bridge
Cat Power - Jukebox
Aidan John Moffat - I Can Hear Your Heart
Eels - Meet The Eels
Eels - Useless Trinkets
Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Does Judy: Live At Carnegie Hall
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Love Is All - Mixed Up
Rasputina - Oh Perilous World
Hans-Joachim Roedelius & Tim Story - Inlandish
Charlottefield - What Are Friends For
Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause - The Rustic, Contemporary Sounds Of...
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
ALBUM REVIEWS A-Z
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U
V W X Y Z #
BUY CD ALBUMS
BUY MERCHANDISE
BUY GIG TICKETS
TOP ARTICLES NOW
RELATED ARTICLES
ALBUM:
Remi Nicole - My Conscience And I

TRACK:
Remi Nicole - Rock N Roll

TRACK:
Remi Nicole - Go Mr Sunshine

TRACK:
Remi Nicole - Fed Up

EXTERNAL LINKS
Remi Nicole


  more album reviews...


about us | staff | copyright | write to us | mailing list | home page

© 1996-2008 OMH. all rights reserved