 
Nikka Costa’s “Can’tneverdidnothin” should be her breakthrough CD.The album is a slick, stylish effort that has the catchy grooves of a good Prince record. (By the way, Prince gets a word of thanks from Costa in the liner notes.) The 11-song CD gets off to a strong start with “Till I Get to You,” a sort of adult version of the alphabet song that has Costa recounting a series of lovers. “Let’s just say my lover K was kicked to the curb,” she sings. “And my lovers LMNOP have all become a blur.” Costa, who shares writing credits on nearly every song, has a mighty voice with a gritty undertone to it. It works well on the funk-pop-soul numbers that dominate the CD. There’s a fun Sly Stone-vibe throughout the album. The entire album could have been one big party, but Costa, the daughter of famed record producer Don Costa, shows her versatility by throwing in some slower numbers like “Hey Love,” which turns out to be one of the set’s best tunes. Despite the drop in tempo, the slower tunes also have a nice infectious quality. Costa has turned out a consistently solid record. - D. Kimura
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Nikka
Costa