Mondo Amore

It's been a tumultuous three years since the release of Nicole Atkins' acclaimed 2007 debut, Neptune City, but the wait has proved worth it. Mondo Amore is a courageous, provocative work, fraught with dramatic tension, sweeping emotions, and musical ambition, with Atkins' remarkable voice commanding attention at the forefront. On Mondo Amore, Atkins' goal was to create a more volatile sound than she had previously attempted, a sonic approach akin to such influences as Scott Walker and Nick Cave, while also touching on longtime inspirations like the blues and classic '60s psychedelic rock. As its all-encompassing title suggests, Mondo Amore is a big, bold collection, a grandly romantic song cycle fraught with all the passion, anger, tenderness and devotion of Atkins' own extraordinary heart.