Top Five Albums of 2010 - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

*This is part of a series of posts, please refer to the parent post for context*

#4 – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals (self-titled)

I’ve been a fan of Grace Potter ever since I first heard her vocals on Nothing But the Water, and then on tour with This is Somewhere. Those early efforts showcased a strong blues leaning with some big female vocal classic rock (think Janis Joplin-ish), but the sound hadn’t quite gelled. This album brings it all together, perhaps because of the addition of a second guitar and a new bass player. From the first note, you get the impression that Potter knows what she wants and knows how to get it. This is not your typical female lead vocals pining after men and feeling victimized – the songs are strong when they need power and wistful when they need to be introspective. The album moves through up-tempo and slower tracks with ease, the blend of the two reaching a balance in sound and style previous albums seemed to struggle with. The production of the CD is key here – the tracks sound and feel like live work, not studio recordings, which makes all the difference in those transition moments. Potter’s vocals are sexy and raw with solid imagery in the lyrics, and the music sticks to that blues/pop sweet spot. The intensity of the music will grab you and hold you through the entire ride.

Favorite Lyrics:

1. “Don't let your bones turn to stone cause you're feeling so alone, just keep on walking.”
2. “And I can feel you from the inside, prowling like a devil that I try to hide. I can feel your heart beating closer than the poison of my pride.”
3. “Take away this sense of regret, take the things I need to forget. Take the mistakes I haven't made yet, they're all I have left.”

Favorite Tracks:

1. Hot Summer Night
2. Low Road
3. Money
4. Colors