24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is a collection of tracks spanning decades of Nicks’ life. With the majority of the tracks written throughout the seventies and eighties, this album’s slightly eclectic sound is to be expected. Considering the time of writing of the majority of these songs, it’s unsurprising that the overall sound is reminiscent to that of Rumours, despite the fact that the backing musicians do not quite compare to the sound of Fleetwood Mac (but, let’s face it, who could live up to that?).
Like most albums, not every track would be a roaring success if released as a single. Out of the fourteen tracks, here are a few that most stood out to me:
‘Starshine’: As one of the most upbeat tracks on the album, ‘Starshine’ wouldn’t sound out of place on Rumours as Nicks’ voice sounds almost the same as it did back then. This is a great choice for the album’s opening track – it is probably the catchiest song on the album, it’s been stuck in my head for days! If you’re going to listen to just one song from Songs From The Vault then I’d definitely recommend this one.
‘Blue Water’: ‘Blue Water’ provides a real contrast to ‘Starshine’. Featuring backing vocals from American country trio, Lady Antebellum, this track has much more of a relaxed feel to it. It’s songs like these that show Nicks’ versatility as a singer through the way she manipulates her voice to create such a tender and fragile tone.
‘I Don’t Care’: For me, this is everything that a song should be – it’s one that you can’t help but tap your foot to. ‘I Don’t Care’ is certainly the album’s rockiest track – Nicks sings with an attitude, which is complimented with the best guitar riff we hear on the album. As well as this, I’d consider this to be one of the best displays of her talent as a lyricist. This is a song you’ll want to listen to over and over again.
From blues to ballads to the rocky sound that Stevie Nicks is best known for, Songs From The Vault has it all. Although some tracks are a bit hit and miss (e.g. ‘Cathouse Blues’ and ‘Belle Fleur’), others are so good that I am surprised they were not released at the time of writing. Overall, I’d say that this album is a success, and if you’re a fan of Fleetwood Mac then you won’t be disappointed.
