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Janelle Monae: The Electric Lady

Similar Artists: Erykah Badu, Solange, Santigold, Funkadelic, Grace Jones

Genre: R&B, Soul, Pop, Funk

Label: BadBoy/Wondaland

Janelle Monae is a fan of big statements. This was made abundantly clear starting with her first ever release, the Metropolis, Suite 1: The Chase, which was already more grand and ambitious than most artists’ career defining releases. Of course, she happened to top herself on her 2010 semi-masterpiece The ArchAndroid, in which she further chronicled the story of her alter-ego, the rebel droid Cindy Mayweather. It happened to be one of the most confident and resonant debuts in recent memory, and Janelle knew it too. It was quite clear that Janelle was head and heels above the competition, and that she was intent on forming her own league of equally talented singers/songwriters who were hoping to change the current state of R&B, Neo Soul, and the musical world itself. On her equally massive, guest loaded, no filler 2nd LP, she may have just accomplished that goal.

Of course, Janelle isn’t reinventing the wheel with her music, she’s working within firmly established genres, and through all the spectacle that her music provides, groundbreaking is never a term that comes to mind. This is fine of course, because her music happens to be accessible in the best possible way. She goes deeper than your average pop star, both in lyrical themes and musical direction. Early single “Q.U.E.E.N” — which by the way, is a surefire contender for song of the year — sees Janelle at her most freakish /Is it peculiar that she twerk in the mirror, and am I weird to dance alone late at night/, reminding us all of a certain Miley Cyrus, yet Janelle herself never comes off as peculiar, only that rare, hard earned talent we don’t see enough of in pop stardom. Although some may dub her music as alternative, these are songs that could easily appeal to the masses (her record sales might say otherwise though). These are finger-snapping tunes that will stick with you for weeks on end, coming in and out of your consciousness long after you have parted ways with the album itself.

Her 2nd full length, The Electric Lady, is a perfect follow up record, as it continues the themes on ArchAndroid in even bolder ways than before. Just check the guest list if you don’t believe me. This year’s roster includes talents such as Miguel, Esmeralda Spalding, Solange, Erykah Badu, and yes, even Prince. This is the soundtrack to the party that everyone wants to go to, and the good news is, as long as you don’t mind some shiny robotic booty (and aren’t a bounty hunter), you’re absolutely welcome to join in on the fun.

The sci-fi elements remain abundant, and intrinsic to the album’s main themes. The events of this album actually take place before those of The ArchAndroid, making this a prequel of sorts. Taking a cue from Blaxploitation films, the album cleverly deals with racism and prejudice being brought upon the Android community. The story — if you could call it that — is told largely through droid friendly radio station WDRD in some downright hilarious skits; my favorite being one in which the Andrada sisters talk about a party in which there will be an atomic kissing contest, among other droid specific activities.

The individual tracks go back and forth from being Cindy Mayweather dance jams, like “DanceApocolyptic” and “Electric Lady”, and more personal and heartfelt Janelle Ballads, “Primetime” and “Victory”. As you’d expect, the album flows masterfully, and is ornamented through heavenly interludes and dynamic instrumental snippets. While the album isn’t any less orchestrated than previous releases, it’s more indebted to classic rock and the electric guitar itself. There are some serious, painstakingly produced guitar solos throughout The Electric Lady, harkening back to 60’s and 50’s musical trends. The “Suite V Electric Overture” is particularly old-timey in its structure, and there are even some references to spaghetti westerns (possible Django influence?). Janelle has clearly done her homework when it comes to digging out archived soul releases, as she has implemented exquisite multi layered harmonies that remind us of what used to be the worlds most powerful instrument: the voice.

It’s true, with all the fancy production techniques and overdubs, what makes this music as good as it is is how great the vocals sound. Even when Janelle’s oohing and ahhing is at its most extensive and drawn out, she pulls it off because of the urgency in her tone. She often gets so emotional that it sounds as though she’s singing in order to save her life; and who wouldn’t want a girl with pipes like those to live forever? As the title of the Prince featuring early standout “Givin Em What They Love” suggests, Janelle knows what makes her audience tick, and she isn’t afraid to do exactly that. Lets all hope The Electric Lady does as well as it should on the charts, that way Janelle will be able to make this same lovely spectacle again, and again, and again. I’m about ready to get me some more of that chrome booty.

Track Listing:

1.) Suite IV Electric Overture

2.) Givin Em What They Love*

3.) Q.U.E.E.N.*

4.) Electric Lady*

5.) Good Morning Midnight

6.) Primetime*

7.) We Were Rock & Roll

8.) The Chrome Shoppe

9.) Dance Apocalyptic*

10.) Look Into My Eyes

11.) Suite V Electric Overture

12.) It’s Code

13.) Ghetto Woman*

14.) Our Favorite Fugitive

15.) Victory*

16.) Can’t live without your love

17.) Sally Ride

18.) Dorothy Dandridge Eyes

19.) What An Experience*

Album Highlight – *

King Krule: 6 Feet Beneath The Moon

Similar Artists: Willis Earl Beal, Earl Sweatshirt, Daughn Gibson

Genre: Half-Rap, lo-fi, Blues, Soul, Dark-Wave?

Label: True Panther Sounds

Honesty goes a long way; it can turn an alright album into a great one, or a forgettable one into a classic. More importantly, when an artist opens his world to us, we tend to be more likely to invest our own selves into the music, creating a shared bond between the creator and listener. Also, albums where the musician lays themselves emotionally bare are the ones most widely accepted as art (Plastic Ono Band being the first thing that comes to mind). Although I don’t give any of the albums I review a number based rating or score, these are the ones that simply can’t be given one, as they must exist as creations of man and be embraced with any flaws or errors they may have.

Of course, if we want to be entertained, the artist must also complement this honesty or realness, with other, equally impressive feats; so it’s a good thing that King Krule’s attractive guitar playing and very untraditionally attractive voice make for such a harrowing mixture. So much, in fact, that his songs can, and do, often ride on those two elements alone; case in point being early single “Out Getting Ribs”, featured here in slightly tweaked fashion. It turns out though, that that introduction to this artist’s world was just the tip of the iceberg.

King Krule is London’s Archy Marshall, who previously recorded as Zoo Kid (until he remembered how awesome the Donkey Kong Country games were, I suppose). If you haven’t seen a picture of this dude, I recommend you do so right now, because between his grueling, darkly chilling baritone, boney facial structure and bright red hair — comparable to a young Ron Howard (albeit a tough-as-nails one) — there’s not much else that seems as haphazardly mismatched. After an exciting, self-titled EP and a few tremendous guest spots on releases from Mount Kimbie and Angel Haze, the teenager has released his debut full-length 6 Feet Beneath The Moon, and on his 19th birthday no less!

What’s so surprising and often hypnotic about these 14 tracks is how much diversity is played out among them. For a kid who wrote these songs around or before the time he was even legal, he has a perplexing amount of musical breadth and knowledge. It’s no wonder he has such a boastful aura surrounding him. His baffling range goes from the single ready, mood setting opener “Easy Easy”, to the tropical-tinged “Border Line”, to the falling apart emotional bombast of “Has this Hit?” within the first three songs alone. The record gets even more unpredictable from there though, as Krule chronicles his loss through a lustrous ballad,”Baby Blue”, the stomping, tour-de-force jazz of “A Lizard State” and the suicide-riddled dream piece “Cementality”. He’s also taken a thing or two from both the U.K. bass scene and the L.A. beat scene, and he uses the two to string together a darkly ominous mood that permeates the album in full.

Thanks to his penetrating voice, Archy is well equipped to deal with issues relating to hardship and heartache, and he manages to be pretty convincing no matter what theme he is tackling. His unique flow of singing/rapping feels very stream of consciousness, and although he will occasionally throw us a sour rhyme or a particularly unflattering slur (pussy, fat-bitches), he comes through as sincere. It’s also a good thing that his voice is always up front and center, because even after countless listens, its idiosyncratic qualities remain the true highlights of 6FBTM. I’ve become mesmerized by how he can at times have so much control over his voice, only to break out into a nearly undecipherable drawl a few measures later. Its like he’s letting his vocal cords hang outside of him and bleed onto his compositions.

Like every teenager should be, King Krule isn’t one to hold back. His compositions are raw and unfiltered in the way only a young artist’s could be, but he’s so much more than that as well. 6 Feet Beneath The Moon may not be for everyone, and it may only be a stepping stone in this artist’s hopefully long and fruitful career, but as it stands now it’s an unflinching portrait of Archy Marshall. The fact that he’s an artist who deserves to be heard just happens to be a huge plus for us.

Track Listing:

1.) Easy Easy*

2.) Border Line

3.) Has This Hit?*

4.) Foreign 2

5.) Ceiling

6.) Baby Blue

7.) Cementality*

8.) A Lizard State*

9.) Will I Come

10.) Ocean Bed

11.) Neptune Estate*

12.) The Krockodile*

13.) Out Getting Ribs*

14.) Bathed in Grey

Album Highlight – *

Album Review: Janelle Monae – The Electric Lady

Album Review: King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon

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