New York City rockers Nicotine Dolls arrive with their self-titled sophomore album on October 23 via BMG, a bold and fully realized collection that the band itself describes as the first true Nicotine Dolls record. Co-produced by frontman Sam Cieri and hitmaker Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne) and tracked in Nashville, the 12-song set pairs blown-out guitars, pummeling rhythms, and electrifying vocals with fearless songwriting that captures the explosive chemistry among Cieri, guitarist John Newsome, and drummer Abel Tabares.
Nicotine Dolls
Listen to Nicotine Dolls on Spotify · album · Nicotine Dolls · 2026 · 12 songs
The album marks a clear evolution from the band’s 2025 debut, An Attempt at Romantic. After signing with BMG, Nicotine Dolls scrapped an earlier attempt at a follow-up in favor of something bigger, louder, and more audacious—reconnecting with the reckless abandon that first drew Cieri to rock & roll. “I’d always wanted to make a record like the one we ended up with, but never had the right band to pull it off,” Cieri said. “Somehow, everything came together and it felt like magic. That’s why it’s self-titled. To me, it’s the first real Nicotine Dolls record.” He added that finishing it brought tears: “I’d never had that happen before. I believe in our band, and this is the closest I’ve ever come to making the record I always knew we could make.”
Across its tracks, the record brings moody bravado to an unfiltered exploration of desire, regret, and survival. Lead single “Enemy,” released in late August, is a galvanizing refusal to carry the weight of someone else’s self-destruction. “‘Enemy’ came from being blamed by one of my best friends for choices he made that blew up his own life,” Cieri explained. “I’d never written a f*ck-you song before, but that’s exactly what it is. A lot of this record was about confronting things I’d allowed myself to become a victim of, and finally calling them out.”
Subsequent singles reinforce the album’s range. “Gimme Sympathy,” which arrived with a music video just days before release, is a fuzzed-out burst of swagger aimed at the takers and leeches who drain relationships without accountability. “Here To California,” co-written during sessions with Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts) and originally titled “Waiting For California,” transforms longing to escape a troubled relationship into an exhilarating anthem about choosing forward motion over regret. Its video, filmed from Laurel Canyon to Santa Monica Beach, matches the song’s cinematic sweep.
The full tracklist runs: 1. Wild, 2. Gimme Sympathy, 3. Here To California, 4. To The Wolves, 5. Drive Away, 6. Little Games, 7. Punch Drunk Lovin’, 8. I’m Right Here, 9. Wanted You To Know, 10. Going Numb, 11. Enemy, 12. Just Enough. Early reactions have been enthusiastic; one review called the album a “treasure trove” of bangers, singling out the dreamy emotive pull of “Here To California,” the bluesy-sexy groove of “To The Wolves,” and the soulful, caramel-smooth longing in Cieri’s vocals on tracks like “Drive Away” and “I’m Right Here.”
Cieri’s path to this moment was anything but straightforward. Before forming the band in 2018, he spent nearly three years busking in New York City subways and appeared in the Broadway production of Once. Years of lineup changes, small-club grinding, and building a devoted following (with millions of social media followers and strong streaming numbers) led to this confident reinvention. The self-titled album feels like the payoff: visceral songwriting amplified by explosive musicality and Cieri’s distinctive, gritty-yet-soulful voice.
With the record dropping just as the band continues touring (including recent U.K./European dates and a festival appearance), Nicotine Dolls have positioned Nicotine Dolls as their most definitive work yet—an authentic, rebellious statement that rewards listeners seeking both raw energy and emotional depth. It’s the sound of a band that finally had the right combination of players, producers, and purpose to deliver the record they always envisioned.
