Broken bones
Hairline fractures in your cranial dome
Trickling blood onto the paving stones
You were far from home
And you were all alone
Singing your last song of broken tones
Broken backs
Spinal fluid leaking through those cracks
Vision dimming as your heart attacks
Just a fade to black
Then your jaw goes slack
And when you die you're never coming back
What a shame to crack open your skull when it's so full of song
What a loss to have lived your whole life for these melodies now gone
But when they entered our skulls through our earholes we all sang along
Broken heart
Nested in a ribcage blown apart
Skylight brightening as your ghost departs
It looks back from afar
As your head lies ajar
Pouring out last thoughts like migrant stars
What a shame to crack open your skull when it's so full of song
What a loss to have lived your whole life for these melodies now gone
But when they entered our skulls through our earholes we all sang along
The veteran Oakland jazz artist presents her first full-length album made in partnership with members of Citizens Jazz. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 9, 2021
Chicago’s NIIKA has made a record rich in nuance, drawing on soul, pop, jazz, and even folk to craft stunningly intricate songs. Bandcamp New & Notable May 16, 2020