Nikka Costa

At first, Costa's debut is deceptively simple turn-of-the-millennium R&B. Yet there are interesting embellishments throughout: "So Have I for You" collapses into a drum 'n' bass break, and the sludgy rhythm of "Tug of War" surrenders to its noisy bridge. Her voice, when not processed to the point of anonymity, is rugged and bluesy. Not a revelation, but an odd detour.

At the age of eight, Nikka Costa was already a pop star. The daughter of Rat Pack
producer/arranger Dan Costa -- and goddaughter of Frank Sinatra -- topped charts in
Europe, Israel, and South and Central America with her self-titled debut. Two decades
later, Nikka's sound recalls the funky, rocking soul of Janis Joplin, Chaka Khan, and Macy
Gray more than it does anything you might have heard from Ol' Blue Eyes. The t... More >