My autographed cover of 'Drown In The Crimson Tide'.
I am proud to say I was a fan of Nakia's music before he made it on to Team Cee Lo in the inaugural season of 'The Voice'. I loved the soulful Rock, so enriched by the Blues, both on his EP 'Playing The Cards' and the full album 'Water To Wine'. I cheered him on the show, hearing him take on Pop songs under the direction of Green. While I was a bit disappointed he fell just shy of the finals, I was also excited to see where this journey would take him, and what music he would be making. Well, in March my wait was over, and he released a new EP, 'Drown In The Crimson Tide'. I am totally in love with the six-song collection, where Nakia returns to his roots of rocked out soul music. Somehow, Nakia manages to combine the sound of James Brown with Stevie Ray Vaughan, yet still sound fresh and crisp. Now I have a strong affinity for the Southern Rock sound, with a youth filled with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, and it still appeals to me today. 'Drown In The Crimson Tide' opens with "Tight", a song written by Nakia and Chris Seefried. In fact, Nakia had a hand in all the songs on the album, and you can tell they are close to his heart. Check out the music video for "Tight".
The minute "Make Up With A Gun" kicked in, I felt that 1960s soul feel, and knew I'd love this one. Written by Nakia and Aris Archontis, it brings Amy Winehouse to mind, the way Nakia sounds totally immersed in song and the period. So much so, I really expected to hear the late Sonny Bono on the chorus. On "Dream Big", there us a sultry heat generated that cannot be denied. The song speaks to all our aspirations, captured perfectly by Nakia and Bleu. This ballad share's what sounds like Nakia's journey, with a slow and burning passion. With the riving percussion, bold guitars, and jingling pianos, "Pieces And Castles" once more reminds me of the best of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Nakia gets bold on the song, at times making his vocals become another instrument to engulf you in the blues Rock. This track was written by Nakia and Barry Goldberg. Once gain, Nakia slows to the sound a bit, letting the blues take over for the Rock. "When I Found You" showcases the wonderful textures to Nakia's voice. The song written by Nakia and Barry Goldberg also allows the singer to open his heart to those listening. The final 45 seconds is just golden to me. The final track on the EP was written by Nakia and Brian West, and "Walking On A Slant" returns the Rock to center stage, giving us a cocktail of rock and party! Check out this clip of Nakia performing the song live in Austin, Texas.
As I said earlier, this is music that really connects to my heart, as well as my memory. If you enjoy it, you should add this EP to your collection. You can purchase 'Drown In The Crimson Tide' on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Nakia, visit his official website where you can listen to some great music and join his mailing list. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter. Now if I could only get the opportunity to hear him playing this live!
