Nichole Wagner - Dance Songs For The Apocalypse EP (Album Review)

It’s been said many times before, but the covers record is a fickle beast and incredibly hard to get right. Do you slavishly replicate every note of the original or take a more daring approach? The replication route can prove a little dull, while the opposite route can lead to disaster, upsetting fans of the original and alienating fans hungry for original material. Both options can be considered a pointless exercise best reserved for the contractual obligation release - if you’ve not recorded a live show.  Luckily Nichole Wagner didn’t listen to this advice or seemingly worry about any of these issues, and the result is an impressive release with a foot in both camps.

Nichole Wagner is an artist who refuses to be penned in by genre boundaries. Her 2018 debut album  ‘And The Sky Caught Fire’ proved to be an impressive set of country tunes with deft songwriting and just enough guitar grit to tick the Americana box (Rod Picott duets on one track which is another plus). The album also featured a take on Warren Zevon’s ‘Reconsider Me’ so Wagner has a little bit of a back story as far as cover tunes are concerned and can spot a good song. Needless to say ‘Dance Songs for the Apocalypse’ doesn’t at first glance have too much in common with ‘And The Sky Caught Fire’ but let’s did a little deeper.

Opening with the Talking Heads classic ‘Life During Wartime’ Wagner employs an almost sultry vocal over thumping bass, swirling synths and busy percussion while the guitars are pushed slightly deeper into the mix. Throw in a strangely discordant horn solo and this take on the song does justice to the original while adding a bright new coat of paint. It’s also worth noting that David Byrne’s already dark dystopian tone is given a 2020 lyrical update as the list of place names now includes; Parkland Fla, El Paso, TX and Las Vegas all scenes of mass shootings in recent years. Stripped of much of its rhythmic bombast Sia’s ‘Bird Set Free’ loses none of its anthemic positivity. Wagner strips things away, the drums reduced to a minor role; her voice is clear and strong, carrying the strident message of empowerment as the song slowly builds on a bed of piano and keyboard sounds. The lead instrument is unexpectedly Eddie Dickerson’s mournful violin which seems perfectly pitched to accentuate the initial negativity that will be overcome.

Rilo Kiley’s ‘A Better Son/Daughter’ has, over the years, become an important song for many people dealing with depression or bipolar disorder.  Wagner plays it straight by effectively not playing it straight. The song opens with just voice and acoustic guitar before the band join in via strummed electric guitar over a strong drum track. More instrumentation creeps in as the song builds in keeping with the original; a gurgled synth line here, a snatched horn part there all play a part as the mix gets thicker, more troubled but the underlying positivity remains “You’re weak but not giving in”.  Wagner does justice to a song that many would give a wide berth; it’s a brave call, especially with the world in various stages of lockdown, raising mental health awareness should always be applauded.

‘Heartbeats Accelerating’ was written and originally performed by Canadian duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle but is probably best known for Linda Ronstadt’s 1993 version, delivering a powerhouse vocal performance which resulted in a sizable hit single. Ronstadt’s gift for song interpretation was evident as she emphasised the New Age/Enya like subtleties of the original. Wagner’s percussive take on the song takes a different approach employing an almost calypso feel with shakers, steel drums, occasional keyboard smudges and Daniel “Lit Du” Durham’s lovely warm bass notes. It’s an interesting and enjoyable take on the tune and although lightweight in the context of the EP I’m sure many will enjoy this ray of light in the darkness which is what Wagner intended.

The EP concludes with Neil Young’s ‘Ambulance Blues’ which again shows that Wagner doesn’t believe in easy options. Transposed from the original acoustic guitar track to feature Jessica Pyrdsa's piano, and with Dickerson’s violin a perfect nod to the original, Wagner does a fine job, her vocal delivery captures the tone beautifully. ‘Ambulance Blues’ has always been open to lyrical interpretation with Young seemingly looking back on his early days in Canada while mulling over the state of the world in the early 70s. The reference to “The man who tells the lies” is thought to be a slight on Richard Nixon and still seems appropriate in 2020. A sad indictment and a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 'Ambulance Blues' is prime Neil Young and 'On The Beach' one of his best albums and Nichole Wagner does it justice.

With ‘Dance Songs for the Apocalypse’ Nichole Wagner has tackled the release of the tricky covers album with great skill, for which she, her band and producer Justin Douglas deserve praise. Hopefully, these tracks will inspire folks to check out the original compositions and discover some great music. It’ll be really interesting to see where Nichole Wagner goes next because on the strength of this EP all things are musically possible.

The EP will be released digitally on May 22nd to be followed by a limited edition cassette tape with a portion of the sales from the tape going to support The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights ( https://www.theyoungcenter.org/about-the-young-center)