can'tneverdidnothin'
Somewhere on a soulful musical timeline between Sly Stone and Joss Stone, you’ll find Nikka Costa. While many find chart success by putting out palpable but forgettable pop/soul mixes, with "can'tneverdidnothin'" Costa has once again written and recorded a funk/soul/rock mix that rises her above the plethora of pseudo-soul. Coming from a family tree with deep musical roots (her fatherDonwas a well-respected producer/arranger who worked withSinatraandSammy Davis Jr.), Nikka Costa began her recording career at the age of eight, where she scored a European hit with her cover of "Out Here On My Own" from the movieFame. For the next 20 years, Costa put out a handful of releases she herself has downplayed as inferior before coming into her first considered ‘real’ solo effort, the impressive, soul-filledEverybody Got Their Something. For her new release, the funk and rock has been turned up considerably; Costa’s shining moments of uptempo strength come via the funk-heavy tracks, most notably during the cover ofTina Turner’s"Funkier Than A Mosquito’s Tweeter", with its spectacular horn section. The CD’s other highlights come in the ballads, most specifically the disc’s two closers, the tender "Hey Love" and the raw emotion of "Fatherless Child" about the passing of her legendary dad. "can'tneverdidnothin'" is a disc that is rare in it's authentic, sincere groove, and it seems likely that as Costa continues to grow, so will the depth of her music.--Denise Sheppard