Nicole Atkins commented recently that she strives to “write modern songs that could be part of the Great American Songbook.” Indeed, the influence of various artists from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s can be heard throughout her oeuvre. Drama, like previous work, blends tried-and-true pop approaches and lush production treatments, the neo-crooner addressing love, loss, and the 21st-century malaise.
With opener “Trippin’ on Teardrops,” Atkins moves between sultry verses and “Wall of Sound”-inflected choruses, as she expresses feeling lonely and disconnected (“I’m missing Brooklyn / I miss my own friends”). “Singing in the Mirror,” meanwhile, launches with a synthy riff that points to bawdier 1980s sources. Atkins soon, however, segues into a family-friendly chorus, referencing how kids used to (perhaps still do?) sing in the mirror, dreaming of stardom.
