There’s Something about Nico
Maeri Ferguson
Posted On January 21, 2016
Put simply, there’s just something about Nico. She is mysterious, alluring, magnetic and strange, and she oozes sex in such an effortless way. The fact that there is still more to discover about her more than 25 years after her death is fascinating. And the newest gem to uncover comes in the form of a four-song EP titled Nico: BBC Session ’71, out now on the unstoppable Light in the Attic Records. With only a few songs to take in, this album may seem skippable, but alas, it is actually quite special.
Though before now it was only available for a short time in the late 1980s, and only on vinyl, this recording should be considered essential Nico listening. The offerings here are some of her darkest and more serious, with an almost circus or freak show-like quality to them. This comes from the harmonium, which she plays herself, creating a shadowy, menacing sound that veers from playful and effervescent to nightmarish and transcendent.
“Frozen Warnings” has the feel of a traditional hymn. It is mountainous, atmospheric and earthy with a hypnotic pace that never picks up, but instead maintains a fluid steadiness. Her harmonium brings a multidimensional, layered depth to the ghostly lullaby.
“Janitor of Lunacy” gets even darker, though it holds on to that lushness that permeates the whole record. It is the most foreboding of the four tracks, with Nico bringing her voice about as low as it can go. It is here that her vocal androgyny works so well to make a moody song even moodier.
Nico lightens up only a tad on “No One is There”, but only with her harmonium. It bounces and floats in a higher octave on this track, alongside Nico really belting it out. And “Secret Side” is angelic and lacy despite Nico’s chanting of the lyrics like fierce spoken poetry.
Recorded live for BBC Radio One’s Top Gear in 1971, and later followed up with another recording in 1974, this is a set that offers Nico up as a true soloist and proves her power as a compelling artist not only of her time, but of ours, too.
