Album Review - “Who Can Blame Niko” by Niko Noir
Who Can Blame Niko is a story of finding consistent routes of relatability with the singer in all the worst ways. Whether that be relationships, overthinking, or finding tranquility in a world where irritation is around every corner. At the helm of our songs and stories is Niko Noir, an artist who, by definition, is simply in the center of trying to make sense of situations that always find their way to her through nonsensical means.
Through nine tracks, what we find in Noir's project is that she wants happiness. However, does happiness want her? That would be the easy way to tell the story, but musically, it would be a disservice to summarize it this way.
As vocally, she is as traditional of an R&B artist as you could ask. While far from a modernized tradition where vocals come second to the story, between her shifting ability to stay on top of production and make each track maintain a near-hypnotic feel or her songwriting, which feels more friend-talking-on-the-phone than simply listening to an artist, Noir’s eye test feels truthful, where the music comes from real-life shortcomings, it’s a description that feels married between Alex Isley and Jazmine Sullivan.
The project begins with “Vixen,” a track detailing a lover. While the lyrics blur the lines of whether the lover is a figment, history, or someone measured by their inconsistencies, It is an appeal for empathy toward those who dealt with blase romance and would rather have intimacy in front of them rather than argue about lost time.
Noir achieves a similarly striking note with "Sticky Note," a guitar-driven track about the perfect sexscapade, who, for lack of words, would not be the best life partner. Noir’s energy in both of these songs shows that she is not making a song for a hit but rather for truth. She creates a mixture of therapeutic releases with a twist of relatability.
This combination controls the bulk of the album as the direction of most songs centers around Noir, whose project title is not preachy but rather a declarative statement: Who Can Blame Niko? Given each song’s situation, she’s simply saying, given the correct context, you would do the same.
Production-wise, this project feels full and purposeful with its direction. No moment feels out of touch or created for the sake of creation. Tracks like “Personal” have a slowed, easy-going sound with a tone that is rich with groove; this is much the same with later songs like “Heavy On The Missing You.” Noir allows the production to remain a canvas for her journal, and what we, the listeners, receive is not a song but rather a recap with a host of musical elements.
Through nine songs, you'll find that the project is consistent with its thematic elements and perhaps reflects the nighttime and deeply personal experiences of the Detroit songstress. You can listen to the album here.
