She’s a young soul singer who has worked with Mark Ronson and just happens to be Caucasian, but her name isn’t Amy Winehouse – and actually, Nikka Costa has been at this longer than her beehived tabloid-queen counterpart: her Virgin debut, 2001’s Everybody’s Got Their Something, featured some of the same old-school/new-school production that Ronson brought to Winehouse’s 2007 breakthrough, which has to grate on Costa a little, especially given that she’s now in her mid 30s, and has been delivering consistently entertaining music for close to a decade now with very little to show for it. If she’s bothered, though, it doesn’t show here: Pebble to a Pearl is her best effort to date. Not coincidentally, it’s also her Stax debut – free from the Top 40 pressures of her Virgin contract, Costa abandons any attempts to sound modern, focusing instead on classic grooves (supplied by Winehouse’s favorite backing band, the Daptones) to go with her earthy, supple vocals. It’s a match made in heaven – or Muscle Shoals, which is close enough for soul fans jonesing for new music with a timeless vibe. By embracing her retro side, Costa foregoes the inclusion of anything as nouveau-funky as her debut’s “Like a Feather,” and by deliberately imitating her new label’s classic sound, she invites unfavorable comparisons with artists she can’t come close to matching, but this set is much more Pearl than Pebble. (Stax 2008)

Nikka Costa MySpace page

Add all the right elements and you’ve got an effective formula…right? Especially when the combination includes guitarist Steve Cropper, singer/keyboard player Felix Cavaliere and a set list that mines the old Stax sound. Certainly you won’t find more impressive résumés – Cropper helped helm Booker T and the MGs, backed up Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers and wrote such soul standards as “Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour.” Cavaliere, as the voice of the Rascals – Young and otherwise – literally defined the concept of blue-eyed R&B. Yet for all its promise, Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t quite live up to its title. Boasting all originals, including a handful of instrumentals, it offers an air of authenticity, but without the credence that implies conviction. Cropper remains a singular guitarist and Cavaliere clearly possesses one of the most emotive voices of all time, but these new songs pack neither the fire nor the magic of the material they’re emulating. Back in the day, “One of Those Days” and “If It Wasn’t For Loving You” might have fit the formula, but now they represent a recycled sound that long ago was played to perfection.

Ultimately it’s not surprising that Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t fare better. After all, these songs recall templates that have been indelibly etched, making any attempt to raise that bar a daunting challenge at best. But where Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples and Al Green recently rekindled old glories with albums that moved them forward, Cropper and Cavaliere seem content to glance backwards and retrace well-trod terrain. Although an admirable attempt, it lacks a necessary quotient when it comes to daring and distinction.

Steve Cropper MySpace page

Pony Ride, the latest outing by Finnish band the Crash, offers an unapologetic approach that melds perky rhythms, gushing sentiment and giddy attitudes to catchy, cushy melodies and a penchant for ‘70s-style soul (think the Jacksons, Average White Band, Culture Club or Simply Red). Singer Teemu Brunila mimics an androgynous style that recalls Michael Jackson, Boy George and Mick Hucknall’s smooth croon for good measure. Oftentimes, the Crash sound kinky – the soaring strings and stately piano ballad “Lauren” seems to be about a stalker, a precursor to a later number actually called “Stalker.” Its follow-up, “Filthy Flower” (“You’re a filthy flower/I could be your lover/But I want to be your man”), shows a certain pride in their prurient desires. “I hope we’ll make it to the radio/I hope we’ll make it to the stadiums,” they coo on the soulful closer “Backstage.” Given their effusive sound, it’s safe to say the Crash can. (Ryko Music)

The Crash MySpace page

Ooooh, her music is so dreamy. And she’s not hard on the eyes, either.

The press release for Jem’s upcoming album Down to Earth threatens that it will be a disturbingly eclectic affair, using choirs, banjos, Latin beats and even Cut Chemist doing his thing. Her blog-approved song “On Top of the World,” however, is all about the blissed-out pop. Not that there is anything wrong with that. St. Etienne’s best-of receives near-daily play at Chez Medsker, so this sounds just fine to me. I will reserve judgment on the “funky banjo” track until I hear it, though.

Jem - On Top of the World