Razor and Tie

If you’re looking for Jersey native Nicole Atkins to give you sweet, bubble gum entertainment, just move on and watch an episode of Jersey Shore or something. As producer Kim Fowley says in the movie The Runaways, rock is a blood sport. Clearly, Atkins is here to win and packs a heavy-duty vocal arsenal and rich orchestral rock sounds that few others can claim. Think Jenny Lewis with a hint of Stevie Nicks – some say Loretta Lynn, too – and you’ve got it. While the sparse percussion and occasional blues-tinged violins that weave around Atkins’ darkly emotive vocals make “Vultures” an early favorite, the eerie “The Tower” is truly the album’s standout track.