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Dec 17, 2013There is something very powerful about these interpretations, as Stewart and his crew cut past the elegant phrasings and the precise constructions of Simone’s songs, and expose their bruised and bleeding vulnerabilities.
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Dec 9, 2013Recorded in a day, it’s the least ingratiating sort of tribute, dedicated to the spooky, unsettling side of Simone’s art.
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Dec 3, 2013Along with celebrating the boldest parts of Stewart and Simone's art, Nina marks the return of Xiu Xiu's uncompromising side at its often exhilarating best.
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MagnetDec 18, 2013The album, recorded mostly in one or two takes, reaches a deft balance of Simone's rich jazz settings and Xiu Xiu's avant-garde expulsions. [No. 105, p.61]
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Dec 3, 2013The album's energy grows out of a band taking chances, and while not every reimagining works, there's something satisfying about listening to a group of artists crash head-on into an experiment and find clarity among the fragments.
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Dec 3, 2013What Stewart has produced is a wild, discordant plunge into the legacy of a legend; a visceral interpretation that could only emanate from his creative bowels.
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Dec 3, 2013The sense that this project comes from a place of honesty and respect is clear. Unfortunately, as ever, [Jamie Stewart's] voice remains the double-edged sword that cuts the enjoyment of his work in either a "love it" or "hate it" direction.
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Jan 10, 2014While it’s clear that the album harbors a sign of affection, there’s just no room for the audience to revel in the appreciation that makes it so.
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Dec 11, 2013There's an interesting sound here, a shell of an idea. But there is ultimately very little melody or personality for the arrangements to support and the record winds up sounding weirdly conservative.
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Dec 16, 2013Brazen and breathless all at the same time, Nina comes across as the weirdest record of the entire year, and might even be the strangest album most people might encounter in a lifetime.
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Dec 6, 2013Of course, it doesn’t make sense for Stewart to try to stand toe-to-toe with Simone’s vocals, but the close-mic’d, barely there vocal performance offered on Nina is a tragedy for a man who is a talented singer in his own right.