Everybody Got Their Something
Nikka Costa's fiercely bootylicious first single, "Like a  Feather"--that song with the thick, clapped 16th notes--has already  garnered the 28-year-old singer one hell of a buzz, and for the most  part, she's got the goods to back it up. Already a platinum-selling  artist in Europe and South America, the Tokyo-born, L.A.-bred singer's  stateside debut bulges with ambition. It's a mixed bag of musical  tricks that's equal parts '70s-style funk, hazyLed  Zeppelin-inspired psychedelia, and angst-ridden alternachick yowling, with  healthy dollops of soul, hip-hop, and thrash thrown in for good  measure. Produced by Costa, Australian rocker Justin Stanley (who's  also the singer's husband), and high-profile New York City DJ Mark  Ronson, the album works best when it piles on the noise--like on the  standout "Tug of War," which features the unmistakable rim-shot work ofRootsdrummer  ?uestlove. On that track, a flurry of scratched samples, layers of  soundboard-smeared noise, and a few luscious string sweeps break into  gospel-choir harmonies that swirl gorgeously beneath Costa's reedy  mezzo-soprano wails. It's a shame that she can't match this intensity  on sparser down-tempo ballads like "Nothing" and "Just Because," where  she sounds likeFiona Apple's  slightly less annoying older sis. As the album's title says, everybody  got their something, and Costa sounds best when she sticks to hers.--Sylvia W. Chan