Nikka Costa's Can'tneverdidnothin': Funk/Rock Goodness

Truth be told, Nikka Costa is a rather generic, derivative artist. But since her style of music is such a striking alternative to the fodder mainstream music feeds us today, she’s praised as a musical virtuoso. When she released her stateside debut, Everybody Got Their Something, in 2001, the funk/blues/pop/jazz/rock amalgam presented, not to mention her extremely distinctive vocal presence (the lovechild of Macy Gray and Janis Joplin she’s been affectionately called), was so distinctly dissimilar from the bubblegum pop/rock/R&B/hip-hop musical smorgasbord populating airwaves, and was such a welcome nostalgic throwback, that it was praised by many critics to be a modern-day stroke of genius. 

By no means a bad album, it was simply more of a really good album that had been terribly overrated. And even the ones who called the album on its shortcomings gave it a deserved pass, in hopes Nikka would take the sensational moments and grow them into a full-length release. A quarter-mil sold and 4 years later, Nikka Costa returns with Can’tneverdidnothin’.

Instead of trying to evolve her sound and grow as an artist, Nikka seems content trying to update the sound of her previous album. Thus, the subtle flaws of her debut haven’t aged well and stick out like a sore thumb on here. I may be a bit biased since I caught Nikka’s show at the Roxy last Tuesday but while her live show was nothing short of a mesmeric climax, that same infectious synergy doesn’t translate too well onto record. Her live show seemed more visceral; the album seems more intentional. Take lead single, Till I Get To You.