Nikki Nack

Nikki Nack
Studio album by Tune-Yards
Released May 5, 2014
Genre Art pop,[1] worldbeat,[2] experimental,[3] indie rock,[4] dance,[2] technopop,[2] funk[5]
Length 42:24
Label 4AD
Tune-Yards chronology

Whokill
(2011)		 Nikki Nack
(2014)
Singles from Tune-Yards
  1. "Water Fountain"
    Released: March 18, 2014
  2. "Wait for a Minute"
    Released: April 8, 2014

Nikki Nack is the third full-length release by Merrill Garbus' project Tune-Yards. It was released via 4AD on May 5, 2014 in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States.[6][7]

On March 3, 2014, Garbus posted a two-and-a-half-minute megamix of tracks from the album on her website, thanking fans for “your support and patience while we cooked this chicken.”[8] A subsequent tour was announced, including a batch of international tour dates and a few festivals.[9] The album will feature work with record producers John Hill and Malay.[10]

On March 18, 2014, Garbus released the first album single "Water Fountain".[11]

On April 25, 2014, NPR began streaming the album as part of its First Listen series.[12]

Background and recording

In early 2013, Garbus took a trip to Haiti to work on the follow up to her 2011 release Whokill.[13]

The album features contributions from the a cappella singing group Roomful of Teeth.[14]

Touring

On April 23, Garbus embarked on a tour supporting Arcade Fire in North America, before her own headline shows across Europe and North America, joined by a full touring band. Band members for the Nikki Nack tour are Merrill Garbus (drums, vocals, keys, ukulele), Nate Brenner (bass, synths, vocals), Jo Lampert (vocals), Dani Markham (percussion, vocals), and Abigail Nessen-Bengson (vocals).

Promotion

A music video directed by Joel Kefali was released on April 23, 2014 for "Water Fountain".[15] Garbus also appeared on the podcast Comedy Bang! Bang! alongside comedians Jenny Slate and Jon Daly in June 2014 to promote the album.[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 83/100[17]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [4]
Alternative Press [18]
A.V. Club A-[19]
Consequence of Sound C[20]
The Guardian [21]
NME (8/10)[22]
Pitchfork Media (8.1/10)[23]
PopMatters (8/10)[24]
Rolling Stone [25]
Slant (8/10)[26]
Spin (9/10)[27]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, Nikki Nack received an average score of 83, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 34 reviews.[28]

NME described the album as pairing "non-western musical traditions with melodies fit for a playground" while combining "layers of fizzing electronics and rapid-fire wordplay," and stated that at its best, it is "easily Tune-Yards' finest work."[29] Barry Walters of Spin stated that "Nikki Nack betters Whokill by beefing up its feral ferocity with more sophisticated chops" and, in particular, complimented the power of "Garbus's magnificent yelp." At Alternative Press, Jeff Rosenstock remarked on how "Nikki Nack pinballs between tidy arrangements and full-blown maximalism to find catchy melodies and dance beats in the strangest places."[18] Rolling Stone stated that the album suggests that Garbus is "an innovator in it for the long haul."[25]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Find a New Way"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:28
2. "Water Fountain"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:04
3. "Time of Dark"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 4:33
4. "Real Thing"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:22
5. "Look Around"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 4:26
6. "Hey Life"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:37
7. "Sink-O"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:17
8. "Why Do We Dine on the Tots?"  Merrill Garbus 1:28
9. "Stop That Man"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:33
10. "Wait for a Minute"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:54
11. "Left Behind"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 4:31
12. "Rocking Chair"  Merrill Garbus 2:03
13. "Manchild"  Nate Brenner, Merrill Garbus 3:09
Total length:
 44:18

References

  1. ↑ Breihan, Tom (April 25, 2014). "Stream tUnE-yArDs Nikki Nack". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Milo, Jeff. "tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  3. ↑ Theisen, Adam (May 4, 2014). "Tune-Yards's 'Nikki Nack' an Experimental but Inviting Masterpiece". The Michigan Daily. University of Michigan. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phares, Heather (2014). "Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack". AllMusic Guide (AllMusic, Inc.). June 2014 (311): 111. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ Morris, Sean (May 8, 2014). "“Nikki Nack” by tUnE-yArDs". The Owl Mag. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ Beauchemin, Molly. "tUnE-yArDs Announce New Album Nikki Nack, Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Hogan, Marc. "tUnE-yArDs Teases 'Nikki Nack' LP With Deliriously Anarchic Megamix". Spin.com. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Eakin, Marah. "Tune-Yards' new record, Nikki Nack, has a release date". A.V. Club. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "tUnE-yArDs announces new album & tour, playing Rough Trade". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Camp, Zoe. "tUnE-yArDs Share New Song "Water Fountain", Announce Tour With Arcade Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  11. ↑ Kois, Dan. "WOO-HA! Hear the Wild First Song from Tune-Yards’ New Album". Slate. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  12. ↑ Kois, Dan. "First Listen: tUnE-yArDs, 'Nikki Nack' : NPR". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "tUnE-yArDs Announce New Album Nikki Nack". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "@tuneyards Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  15. ↑ Hogan, Marc. "tUnE-yArDs Goes 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' in Splashy 'Water Fountain' Video". SPIN. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "DJs Are Sleaze-Js, episode #292 of Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast on Earwolf". Earwolf. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  17. ↑ Nikki Nack at Metacritic Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rosenstock, Jeff (2014). "Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack". Alternative Press (Alternative Press Magazine, Inc.). June 2014 (311): 111. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  19. ↑ Brusie, David. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". A.V. Club. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  20. ↑ White, Caitlin. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". CoS. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  21. ↑ Costa, Maddy. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". The Guardian. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ Traynor, Cian. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". NME. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  23. ↑ Powell, Mike. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  24. ↑ Pan, Arnold. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". PopMatters. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Hermes, Will. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  26. ↑ Brusie, David. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". Slant. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  27. ↑ Brusie, David. "Album Review: tune-yards - Nikki Nack". Spin. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  28. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/music/nikki-nack/tune-yards
  29. ↑ http://www.nme.com/reviews/tune-yards/15277

External links