In search of new music….

Dave Amitri on Ricky Wilde and Nina: Scala Hearts

So far in 2024 my search for new music has lead me to the heartfelt, Gen X Americana of Noah Kahan and the theatrical, music hall pop of Barbara. While both are great they are ultimately updated versions of what I already know and love. With that in mind when I saw a tweet from Ricky Wilde, brother of the timeless pop goddess Kim, talking about his new music with someone called Nina I hesitated but somewhere in my subconscious I felt a calling. So my research began.

Ricky as I’m sure you know was the writer of many of Kim’s songs including the brilliant Cambodia and is a highly regarded musician. From Wikipedia I discovered that Nina is

Nina Boldt known mononymously and professionally as NINA (born 29 September 1983) is a German singer-songwriter based in London and Berlin. Her music is a fusion of Pop, New Wave, and Electronic music.

Ricky and Nina have made an album called Scala Hearts. A quick look on Spotify and ss soon as I saw that the album opened with a cover of Dollar’s Videotheque let me tell you dear reader there was no going back. It’s immense. It’s sheer unadulterated 80sness reeks of Hai Karate and the touch of a lace glove. I assume Ricky is doing David van Day while Nina is Thereza Bazar. What an opener and what a song by the way. I. Am. Hooked.

The scene was set for what came next with more 80s references than Friday night on Channel 5. So while it is technically new music, Synthwave or Retrowave according to Nina’s bio, it is as familiar as rerun of Top Of The Pops from 1982 and I adore it.

The second track Causeway is something Roxette would have been very happy to call their own. There’s a real europop feel to several tracks, more on those later.

For now though we cross the Atlantic for LA Dreamers which I believe was a single. Its brilliant. Nina sounds like Madonna if Madonna were in Bucks Fizz. There’s a West Coast DJ straight out of Starship’s We Built This City, police sirens and then we get a coast road guitar solo straight out of Everybody Wants To Rule The World. It should have been number 1 for weeks. Shame on you radio DJs.

After that they turn into Propaganda for Fade Me Out. Another gloriously dark and atmospheric synth masterpiece.

What happens next is remarkable. Ricky channels Dave Gahan and Living In Sin becomes Depeche Mode if Depeche Mode came from Bavaria not Essex. It remains wonderful.

If you told me the next two tracks Gold Heart and Night and Day had been number one in Belgium and Austria for Laura Brannigan, Samantha Fox or one of the ABBA ladies I’d believe you. This is not a bad thing. I’m taken back to Saturday nights at Camden Palace and summer holidays in Torremolinos.

Fighter treads a fine line between a Celine Dion epic and a No Doubt anthem. It clearly comes from a very personal place for Nina as she absolutely throws herself into it.

At this point as you can tell I’m very much at the 5 star review end of this album. As it finishes on the Giorgio Moroder / Donna Summer sounding Lovers on The Beach then it’s top mark status is assured. Put this on at a celebration of your choice and it would absolutely kick off. What takes it into dance floor classic status is a complete drop, fade out which comes back in with an I Feel Love instrumental to close ideal for losing your mind to in any decade, any club, any wedding, anywhere.

In summary my search for new music has lead me back again to a time I’m incredibly fond of. It won’t be for everyone but that is not on Ricky and Nina. Right now regardless of the style they have produced something really quite extraordinary. I’m left with the thought that if Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa or Ariana Grande had made this album the kids would absolutely lose their shit over it. The streaming age means nothing is old anymore. Kate Bush and Sophie Ellis Bextor being discovered through TV series have proved that. Nina and Ricky have made new music that sounds from a different time. I’m very glad they did and that I got to hear and share it. I just wish I could still stick on some Hai Karate and lace gloves and get down to the Videotheque to dance forever…………

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