Following a circuitous career path, Australian Nikki Kummerow’s self-released debut album, ‘Firecracker‘ is an intriguing collection of heart-felt alternative/rock ballads that carry a quiet emotional weight without being overly sentimental and treacly. Expertly produced and mixed by Aaron Marsh (of the indie band Copeland), Kummerow’s voice has a refreshing sparkle that brings to mind The Cardigans‘ Nina Persson and Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays.
Four years ago, while working as a guitar tech for a group called Angelas Dish, Kummerow met Marsh on tour, they became friends, and over time he convinced her to come to Lakeland, Florida to make an album. Recorded at Marsh’s studio, The Vanguard Room, ‘Firecracker’ has just the right wash of instrumentation — a gentle keyboard treatment, a subtle percussive backing, an intricate acoustic guitar — that enhances the vocals and lyrics in creating an engaging latticework of carefully designed songs.
The opening track, ‘Truth is the Hardest Part‘, is a haunting ballad about maintaining truth in relationships. “Nobody’s holding out their hands/No one’s taking anyone’s demands,” defines the complexity of the situation.
‘Umbrellas‘ has a guitar feel reminiscent of Nick Drake that pulls the listener in, but Kummerow’s vocals and lyrics keep you there. The narrator is at a decisive point in a relationship and it has her on edge. “I’ve got to say that the look on your face drives me crazy.” After much thought she decides to wait until her head is clearer until she makes a decision.
‘I’m a Firecracker‘ another impressive track, is also about tangled feelings, choices, and the difficulty of love. “Respect desires my dignity for love,” the narrator intones, as “I get older/A little colder.” A note of hope occurs near the end of the song. “Love, love lift me up.”
Other standouts include ‘Wider Oceans Exist‘, ‘It’s Come to My Attention‘ and ‘The Harsh Face of Reality‘. Kummerow and Marsh eschew the obvious and embrace the complex, taking the hard road instead of the easy path. They handle the construction of the songs like adults in the room, instead of adolescent whiners who appear to be getting too much attention on the charts these days.
Now based in Nashville, Kummerow is considering a tour, but (according to a recent interview in The Comet) is content to bask in the moment. “I think we’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” she recently said. “I’m a firm believer of not getting too ahead of myself.”
Unsigned by a major label (which will certainly change soon considering her album’s chart position on iTunes), Kummerow’s wonderful array of songs is also available at nikkikummerow.bandcamp.com/album/firecracker.
(Donald Gavron)
