Nikki Nack

Nikki Nack is the third full-length release by Merrill Garbus' project Tune-Yards. It was released via 4AD on May 5, 2014 in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States.[4][5]

Nikki Nack
Studio album by
Tune-Yards
ReleasedMay 5, 2014 (2014-05-05)
GenreArt pop,[1] worldbeat,[2] dance,[2] technopop,[2] experimental[3]
Length42:24
Label4AD
ProducerMerrill Garbus, John Hill, Malay
Tune-Yards chronology
Whokill
(2011)		 Nikki Nack
(2014)		 I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
(2018)
Singles from Tune-Yards
  1. "Water Fountain"
    Released: March 18, 2014
  2. "Wait for a Minute"
    Released: April 8, 2014
  3. "Rocking Chair"
    Released: August 6, 2015

On March 3, 2014, Garbus posted a two-and-a-half-minute megamix of tracks from the album on her website, thanking fans for “your support and patience while we cooked this chicken.”[6] A subsequent tour was announced, including a batch of international tour dates and a few festivals.[7] The album will feature work with record producers John Hill and Malay.[8]

On March 18, 2014, Garbus released the first album single, "Water Fountain".[9]

On April 25, 2014, NPR began streaming the album as part of its First Listen series.[10]

Background and recording

In early 2013, Garbus took a trip to Haiti to work on the follow up to her 2011 release Whokill.[11]

The album features contributions from the a cappella singing group Roomful of Teeth.[12]

Touring

On April 23, Garbus embarked on a tour supporting Arcade Fire in North America, before her own headline shows across Europe and North America, joined by a full touring band. Band members for the Nikki Nack tour were Merrill Garbus (drums, vocals, keys, ukulele), Nate Brenner (bass, synths, vocals), Haley Dekle (percussion, vocals), Jo Lampert (vocals), Dani Markham (percussion, vocals), and Abigail Nessen-Bengson (vocals).

Promotion

A music video directed by Joel Kefali was released on April 23, 2014 for "Water Fountain".[13] Garbus also appeared on the podcast Comedy Bang! Bang! alongside comedians Jenny Slate and Jon Daly in June 2014 to promote the album.[14] On August 6, 2015, a video created by Sarah Pupo for the song "Rocking Chair" was released.[15]

The single, "Water Fountain" featured as soundtrack in the EA Sports game, FIFA 15, along with the eight season finale of Shameless

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[16]
Metacritic83/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
The A.V. ClubA−[19]
Cuepoint (Expert Witness)A−[20]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[21]
The Guardian[22]
NME8/10[23]
Pitchfork8.1/10[24]
Q[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Spin9/10[27]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, Nikki Nack received an average score of 83, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 34 reviews.[17] Cian Taylor of NME described the album as pairing "non-western musical traditions with melodies fit for a playground" while combining "layers of fizzing electronics and rapid-fire wordplay" and stated that at its best, it is "easily Tune-Yards' finest work."[23] Barry Walters of Spin stated that "Nikki Nack betters Whokill by beefing up its feral ferocity with more sophisticated chops" and, in particular, complimented the power of "Garbus's magnificent yelp."[27] At Alternative Press, Jeff Rosenstock remarked on how "Nikki Nack pinballs between tidy arrangements and full-blown maximalism to find catchy melodies and dance beats in the strangest places."[28] Rolling Stone's Will Hermes stated that the album suggests that Garbus is "an innovator in it for the long haul."[26]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Find a New Way"Brenner, Garbus3:28
2."Water Fountain"Brenner, Garbus3:04
3."Time of Dark"Brenner, Garbus4:33
4."Real Thing"Brenner, Garbus3:22
5."Look Around"Brenner, Garbus4:26
6."Hey Life"Brenner, Garbus3:37
7."Sink-O"Brenner, Garbus3:17
8."Why Do We Dine on the Tots?"Garbus1:28
9."Stop That Man"Brenner, Garbus3:33
10."Wait for a Minute"Brenner, Garbus3:54
11."Left Behind"Brenner, Garbus4:31
12."Rocking Chair"Garbus2:03
13."Manchild"Brenner, Garbus3:09
Total length:44:18

Charts
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 152
Scottish Albums (OCC)[31] 90
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 57
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[33] 11
US Billboard 200[34] 27
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[35] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[36] 8
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References
  1. Breihan, Tom (April 25, 2014). "Stream tUnE-yArDs Nikki Nack". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  2. Milo, Jeff. "tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  3. Theisen, Adam (May 4, 2014). "Tune-Yards's 'Nikki Nack' an Experimental but Inviting Masterpiece". The Michigan Daily. University of Michigan. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  4. Beauchemin, Molly. "tUnE-yArDs Announce New Album Nikki Nack, Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  5. Hogan, Marc. "tUnE-yArDs Teases 'Nikki Nack' LP With Deliriously Anarchic Megamix". Spin.com. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  6. Eakin, Marah. "Tune-Yards' new record, Nikki Nack, has a release date". A.V. Club. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  7. "tUnE-yArDs announces new album & tour, playing Rough Trade". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  8. Camp, Zoe. "tUnE-yArDs Share New Song "Water Fountain", Announce Tour With Arcade Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  9. Kois, Dan. "WOO-HA! Hear the Wild First Song from Tune-Yards' New Album". Slate. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  10. Kois, Dan. "First Listen: tUnE-yArDs, 'Nikki Nack' : NPR". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  11. "tUnE-yArDs Announce New Album Nikki Nack". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  12. "@tuneyards Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  13. Hogan, Marc. "tUnE-yArDs Goes 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' in Splashy 'Water Fountain' Video". SPIN. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  14. "DJs Are Sleaze-Js, episode #292 of Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast on Earwolf". Earwolf. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  15. Geslani, Michelle. "tUnE-yArDs share kaleidoscopic video for "Rocking Chair"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  16. "Nikki Nack by tUnE-yArDs reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  17. "Reviews for Nikki Nack by tUnE-yArDs". Metacritic. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  18. Phares, Heather. "Nikki Nack – tUnE-yArDs". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  19. Brusie, David (May 6, 2014). "With percussive strength, Tune-Yards finds a new way". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  20. Christgau, Robert (February 13, 2015). "Robert Christgau: Expert Witness". Cuepoint. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  21. Maerz, Melissa (June 11, 2014). "Nikki Nack". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  22. Costa, Maddy (May 1, 2014). "Tune-Yards: Nikki Nack review – reeling with captivating contradictions". The Guardian. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  23. Traynor, Cian (May 2, 2014). "Tune-Yards – 'Nikki Nack'". NME. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  24. Powell, Mike (May 6, 2014). "tUnE-yArDs: Nikki Nack". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  25. "Tune-Yards: Nikki Nack". Q (335): 122. June 2014.
  26. Hermes, Will (May 6, 2014). "Nikki Nack". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  27. Walters, Barry (May 2, 2014). "tUnE-yArDs Transform Turbulence into Transcendence on Exultant 'Nikki Nack'". Spin. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  28. Rosenstock, Jeff (June 2014). "Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack". Alternative Press (311): 111. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  29. "Ultratop.be – Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  30. "Ultratop.be – Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  31. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  32. "TUNE YARDS | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  33. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  34. "tUnE-yArDs Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  35. "tUnE-yArDs Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  36. "tUnE-yArDs Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
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