Nikki Lane - "First High"
Photo by Jody Domingue I knew it had been a while since we last heard from Nikki Lane, but I didn't realize it had been five whole years since Highway Queen came out (my #9 album of 2017). In the past five years, she's worked with artists like Lana Del Ray, Spiritualized, and Ruby Boots, as well as running her vintage shop High Class Hillbilly. Thankfully, she's back with new music! Her upcoming album was produced by Joshua Homme (yes, that Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age), and you hear that on the first single. "First High" still keeps plenty of the twang needed for Lane's alt-/outlaw country sound, but the song goes deeper into Lane's rock side than we're used to. It has a bit of that slinky vibe Queens of the Stone Age had on their early sound, and lets Lane show off her dirty garage rock side (which is just perfect) while staying firmly in her country roots. "First High" sounds a lot like when the Rolling Stones played around with...