(I posted this to my personal blog. I’ve reproduced the first part of the review here but have linked to the main blog to save on space. Since Janelle Monae draws heavily from sci-fi films for her music—especially Metropolis—I thought it would be appropriate to link here. Check out some of her videos at the links at the bottom.)
Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase)
7 out of 10 / B
The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
9 out of 10 / A
The world of the concept album is a difficult thing to navigate through. Good concept albums (Kylyra’s Ishtar’s Ascent or Mitch Branson’s Darkness Of Pleasure) provide a strong narrative to hang a variety of compelling songs on. Bad concept albums (the majority of them too numerous to mention) devolve into mindless self-absorption that makes any music associated with it suffer. Janelle Monae’s Metropolis and The ArchAndroid thankfully belong in the former category. As part of a planned four-suite collection, both albums show an artist possessed of a highly unique vision and drive with a confidence and audacity far beyond her years.
Starting with the 2008 EP Metropolis, Monae tells the story of Cindi Mayweather, droid 57821 from the year 2719. A messianic figure to the android community of Metropolis—a dystopia suffering from severe social stratification—Cindi falls in love with a human and is on the run from bounty hunters. That kind of description doesn’t prepare the listener for the actual music, however, which is a heady mix of multiple genres and styles combined into one. Monae combines equal parts R&B;, soul, funk, classical, pop, rock, opera, and electronica to create music that may leap across stylistic boundaries every track but never seems forced, arbitrary, or gimmicky. It’s all helped by her elastic, remarkably versatile voice which possesses Ella Fitzgerald’s clarity of tone, Anita Baker’s deep soul, and Tina Turner’s rebellious rocker scratch. She can be a crystalline soprano in one song and a growling rioter in the next.
Videos:
Many Moons - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgbzNHVg0c
Tightrope - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc
