Personnel include: Nancy Sinatra (vocals); Jon Spencer (vocals, guitar, percussion); Morrissey, Bono (vocals); Peter Yorn (harmonica, bass guitar, drums); Thurston Moore (bass guitar).
Recording information: Brooklyn Recording, Brooklyn, New York; Elektra Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Think Tank, Hoboken, NJ; Sonora Recorders, Los Angeles, California.
Nancy Sinatra's eponymous 2004 release mixes the old and the new in intriguing, refreshing ways. Sinatra's alto, which pours over melodies like a dry martini, is still intact, though time has replaced some of her cheekiness with sincerity. The new arrives in the form of contemporary songwriters and performers, some of whom were still in diapers when Sinatra had her '60s hits. These include indie upstarts Calexico, electronica act Reno, and former Pussy Galore member Jon Spencer, who lends deep-down vocals to the funky rocker Ain't No Easy Way.
Sinatra's wide range of collaborators is as impressive as the quality of the material. Pulp's Jarvis Cocker contributes the lush pop ballad Don't Let Him Waste Your Time and the country-flavored Baby's Coming Back to Me. U2's Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad (originally written for her father Frank) is particularly well suited to Sinatra, as is Pete Yorn's bright, ironic Don't Mean Nothing. Overall, the singer translates impressively to a contemporary alternative context, making NANCY SINATRA a comeback album to bridge styles, tastes, and generations.
[Reviews]
Rolling Stone (p.97) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - It's a grand meeting between a star and her fans, as Sinatra proves she's not the end of the family line.
Spin (p.98) - [Sinatra has] a light, ductile weirdness, and nearly all the contributing acolytes here play to it well. - Grade: B
Entertainment Weekly (p.74) - Frank's girl willingly wraps her smoky, weathered vocals around characteristically well-written tracks... - Grade: Bn
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