Getting divorced and uprooting yourself isn't the easiest and most dependable path to creative growth, but it sure seems to have worked for
Nicki Bluhm. She made some strong, well-crafted albums steeped in classic country-rock as the lead singer with
Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers, a group she co-founded with her then-husband,
Tim Bluhm of
the Mother Hips. After she and
Tim split up and she moved from Northern California to Nashville to strike out on her own,
Nicki Bluhm has shown just how strong and stylistically diverse she can be, first on her fine 2018 "breakup album"
To Rise You Gotta Fall, and now with her second post-
Gramblers effort, 2022's
Avondale Drive. The country accents of her work with
the Gramblers are still present, but they're part of a larger formula, with blues, soul, and classic R&B playing a more important role in
Bluhm's songs and the arrangements for these performances, while dashes of 1960s pop can be heard in the keyboards on "Learn to Love Myself" and the passion of classic gospel lives in "Mother's Daughter."
Bluhm has grown considerably as a songwriter on
Avondale Drive, sharing stories of love, relationships, and the bumps in the road of a grown-up's life with a thoughtful eye for details and the wisdom of someone who hasn't learned all the lessons but has gained a whole lot of perspective in her lifetime.
Bluhm has also opened up as a vocalist, knowing how to work with her quite impressive instrument and bend it in new ways while still sounding grounded and in control of her music. She can subtly adjust her voice to the different ingredients in each song yet still come across natural and empowering. Working with producer
Jesse Noah Wilson, she's found an ally who helps refine the potent atmosphere of this music and has brought in an impressive roster of players to back her up, including
Wilson on guitar and keyboards,
A.J. Croce on guitar and vocals,
Richard Millsap and
Jay Bellerose on drums,
Karl Denson on sax, and
James Pennebaker on fiddle and pedal steel.
Avondale Drive is a record about learning to be better and stronger after life has thrown you a few left turns;
Nicki Bluhm knows that from experience, and that wisdom blended with her talent and commitment make this her best album to date. ~ Mark Deming
