I have heard what the sun sounds like and that sound is Nicole Reynolds. I don’t work for NASA or anything, but I think that if the sun could sing, its voice would be the voice of Ms. Reynolds showering down to the earth in sweet, warm, whimsical rays.

She seems to have captured the nature of the sun in all its phases, with “Oats & Barley” as the sunrise, “Ghost Dance” and “Like a Movie” as the sunset, “Crazy As You” as the blinding confusion of a bright High Noon and “Memory is Minefield” as a lazy afternoon. There are even times when she clearly understands what it’s like for the sun to be hidden by clouds and rain, as in “Like the Ocean.”

Her style is folky and upbeat, even when the subject matter isn’t. And her sound is her own. I imagine she’s petite because she sounds petite. But I suppose that doesn’t really help you here. As far as I can tell, the only word that can be used to describe her is whimsNicole. See what I did there? She gets her own word because the ones we already have just don’t quite work. She’s whimsNicole. That’s all I can give you. You’ll get it when you hear her.

The sun will be out at night in Philly on April 17th and you’ll have a chance to hear the sound of the sun singing at Nicole Reynolds’ CD release party for her new drop “A Fine Set of Fools.” Each of the aforementioned songs is on this recording and every one of them will make you happy to have ears that can be warmed by the sound of the sun. And I promise you won’t get song-burned.

There is sunshine in this woman and we are fortunate that she can let it out to shine upon us with her voice. Bring your shades, head to the Tin Angel and get ready for some musical Vitamin D.

Saturday April 17, 2010
Nicole Reynolds CD Release Party w/ Athens Boys Choir
20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
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