Santogold
Santogold
Downtown Records
By Eavvon O'Neal
Santogold is going to be a star regardless of how I perceive this album. Actually, correction: she is a star. Through careful practice, thought and concentration, she has managed to create a pop album in every tangible aspect of the genre, and this is something I find unsettling. Still, I’m sure you and your friends and perhaps your mother and her tight knit portion of our social fabric will find Santogold’s self-titled debut to be one of the most entertaining releases to come out of Philly since The Delfonics.
Please drop the album into your computer, or into your stereo, or however you kids listen to music today, and follow this paint-by-numbers album. Once you press play, be blown away by the huge sound created by “L.E.S. Artistes” and the amazing opening it uses to nab your attention from whatever TRL is telling you is the next thing. The muted bass drum and dirty guitar kick through one channel while the swirling synth plows through the other, bombarding your brain like a fat kid in that game with balls and attempted dodging. This is followed by “You’ll Find A Way,” which is by no means as good as the Switch & Siden Remix, but still a relatively solid track. “Shove it”, with its low traces of party chatter and that same low bass that makes trucks rattle and backsides shatter, may be one of the best songs of the album. It’s also one of the cleanest executions of Santogold’s solid writing ability. This talent has been cultivated, since first working with Res, then in Stiffed, then only to work further with Spank Rock on tracks very different from her own sound. Which means Santi can and does write her ass off in any situation or musical template. So yes, she is catering to what America and beyond want to hear when they just need to dance. And it gets better.
When we were first introduced to “Creator,” heads exploded, and that explosive quality hasn’t diminished in the time it’s taken for this album to drop. “I’m A Lady” featuring Santi’s beau Trouble Andrew has harmonies that are almost reminiscent of the La’s “There She Goes,” but stretched out and separated to a point where only the lyrics “She’s so fine” shrugs and hints at nostalgia. “Anne,” which percolates in to oblivion, finishes up an album that is not just pretty great, but is almost perfect. And that’s what I find disappointing: Santogold’s biggest selling point is that she was doing the music that she felt was unique and unlike what labels wanted from her. Come to find out, with every track averaging around 3 minutes 30 seconds, she made exactly what labels, radio, advertisers and people attending weekend aquasize classes at the local YMCA want. While it is very possible that Santogold eats and sleeps pop, the fact that she is breathing it while also preaching non-conformity creates a little bit of a conflicting persona. That’s not to say I don’t love the album, because honestly, I’ll probably play it at my wedding, but I am saying I feel like we’ve been strung along, and that’s what tarnishes Santogold.
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