Danni Nicholls - Under the Neem Plum Tree

by Zena Grieg

published: 1 / 2 / 2025

Danni Nicholls - Under the Neem Plum Tree

Label: Danni Nicholls Music
Format: CD

Atmospheric homage to a beloved grandmother on collection of originals and covers from soulful singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls

Review

English Americana soulful singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls, now resident in Nashville, has released a new album. Carefully arranged by Sarah Peacock, also contributing on piano and vocals, ‘Under The Neem Plum Tree’ is an exploration of the Bedford-raised singer’s Anglo-Indian roots, Nicholls recalling being given a much-treasured notebook from her grandmother containing handwritten lyrics to her family’s favourite songs. The album contains five covers of well-known country songs from the Fifties and Sixties, supplemented by a new composition and two reimagined previous compositions from Nicholls’s catalogue. The songs cover a gamut of emotions, underpinned by pedal steel, inspired throughout by Nicholls’s grandmother’s love of classic Americana. Highlights of this eight-track collection include: the opener and title track, the retelling of her grandmother’s meeting her husband-to-be under a Neem plum tree and resulting move to England; a sparse version of the Patsy Cline classic ‘Crazy’; another original song ‘Between The River And The Railroad’, capturing the quintessential essence of country; an atmospheric rendition of ‘Blue Bayou’; a melodic cover of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’, made famous by Elvis Presley; and the closer, a stripped-back acoustic version of ‘Ancient Embers’ from Nicholls’s ‘The Melted Morning’ album. Subdued, with delicate arrangements, ‘Under The Neem Plum Tree’ is a quiet celebration of the singer-songwriter’s cultural roots and an atmospheric homage to a much-loved grandmother.

Track Listing:-

1 Under The Neem Plum Tree
2 My Happiness
3 Crazy
4 Between The River and the Railway
5 Blue Bayou
6 Can't Help Falling In Love
7 Tennessee Waltz
8 Ancient Embers