Kelis
describes her sixth album as “a kind of unspoken lovefest”,
involving two unlikely partners.
On the one hand, there is Kelis
Rogers, who first came to prominence singing the hook of Ol’
Dirty Bastard’s 1999 hit "Got Your Money".
This was the visually and sonically compelling 20 year-old whose
debut album Kaleidoscope helped usher in the wave of
sharp, thrillingly futuristic R&B that dominated the charts in
the early Noughties, as exemplified by her global hit, "Milkshake".
On the other there is Dave Sitek, guitarist in
acclaimed Brooklyn experimentalists TV On The Radio
and producer to a certain kind of smart, indie band (the Yeah
Yeah Yeahs, Foals and Liars
to name a few).
Food
is a startling combination of Kelis’
most frank and vulnerable vocals to date, and Sitek's
inimitable sonic imprint. Littered with transcendent, Spector-esque
lift, warm bottom ends and vast depth, the music is the perfect
backdrop for Kelis’
unique voice. The latter has only improved with time and experience,
and the album candidly explores pain, happiness and everything in
between.
Recorded at Sitek’s house in LA (and entirely
produced by him), Kelis’
new album, Food,
mints a sound that’s rootsy without ever being self-consciously
retro, that pitches live horns and gospel organ against electronics,
that for all its classic soul and funk influences, couldn’t have
been made any time but now.
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