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Reviews of: Santogoldby Santogold
Product Description Don't call Santi White an R&B artist: on her debut album Santogold, this former music biz A&R and pop songwriter for hire is challenging race stereotypes and playing fast and loose with genre, mashing up dub, punk, and electronics to make an energetic, anger-fuelled music that blurs the lines between the dancefloor and the moshpit. Comparisons to MIA hold some water, especially on the bullish "Creator" (it's worth nothing that Santogold features production turns from sometime MIA collaborators Diplo and Switch). For the most part, though, Santogold's debut follows a quite different path. "L.E.S Artists" is stirring new-wave pop that builds to grand, tearful choruses reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, while "You'll Find a Way" and "Say Aha" are propulsive ska-pop numbers that hark back to its creator's previous band, Bad Brains-influenced punks Stiffed. But it's not just skilful genre-skipping to recommend this record, though: White is the rare vocalist that can sound empowered and vulnerable within the space of the same song, and it's her force of character that places Santogold ahead of the pack. --Louis Pattison Reviews Cool fresh tunes. I bought this album on the strength of Lights Out, and am really pleased with it. I would give it five stars but there are maybe 3 or 4 weak tracks but I don't mind that. I would rather have 8 quality fresh experimental tunes and 3 or 4 that miss the mark, than 12 tracks of boring averageness. For less than a fiver it's a bargain, just take a chance and get it. 'You'll find a way' is brilliant and my current pick of the bunch but I tend to change my mind as I become more familiar with albums - in a month I may prefer a different track. 2008-12-01 The Formula Is Good Listen to anything remotely resembling pop music these days and you will always find a trace of the formulaic about it. If nothing else, the 21st century has refined pop music into something of a formulaic commodity. Mind you, there are some would argue Mickey Most was doing the same thing back in 1973... Santogold's debut does contain some ambitions to meet some kind of blueprint. Upon first hearing I found it utterly generic - a record in search of a hit, if you like. The sound is clean and somewhat calculated. Then after a few plays the thing reveals something of a little more substance. This may be slightly formulaic, ticking the electro-indie pop of "LES Girls" to the bouncy thrash pop of "Say Aha" or the elctro funk of "Creator" (which has a whiff of M.I.A.) about it. Suddely it starts to assert some individuality. Not something which instanly grabs you by the throat, yet turns out to be pretty satisfying. This is a modern pop album, shifting through the genres gently morphing into some its interesting peers. After a few plays the record does reveal its better nature. Worth giving it the time to grow - not something we do in this modern age. This is one formula that is good. 2008-08-23 If you like M.I.A and Missy Elliott... I brought this album after seeing Santogold perform a mash up with Roots Manouver, I have not been dissapointed. At first her voice has a similar same sound to Nelly Furtado but the originality of the music makes her stand out. If you like the party, rave, feel of M.I.A then this is definately a good investment, there is an element of ska and rave to all the tracks, ones to skip straight to are Creator and Lights Out. 2008-08-04 Labels For Less The Wolf first encountered Ms White and her cohorts on the estimable Mr Holland's variety show 'Later' early in 2008. Some months later, given a knock-down price at my local music emporium, Santogold has eventually found its' way into my range of hearing. My somewhat obsessive-compulsive nature usually leads me to peel extraneous sticky labels from CD cases as soon as I am able. Mrs Wolf believes this to be one of my most annoying habits as they are particularly difficult to remove from paws when dropped lazily on the floor of our cave. One such adhesive irritation, admittedly only half-read, may have displayed the words "pop", ""of" and "queen' (the term "undisputed' may also have been present). If I am wrong about this matter I apologise for my inattention. If memory serves me correctly however "pop", "of" and "queen" references seem to me to be both misapplied and innacurate. I honestly can't remember the last time I was left feeling so despondent by a new musical experience. (Actually the last time was probably Kelly Osborne's 'Sleeping In The Nothing'). This is dull, uninventive retro-electro-pop of the worst pedigree. Ms White barks, yelps and ululates her way through this dismal collection, paying scant attention to matters of tonal and dynamic control and quality. The perpetrators' intention had doubtless been to create a work of sophisticated urban cool. In this they have failed to a miserable degree. Historic lowpoints include 'Creator' followed closely by 'I'm A Lady' and the truly execrable 'Anne'. Surely three of the most horrible songs you will hear this year. On the basis of more warmly inclined reviews you may still wish to explore this album but don't say I didn't warn you. 2008-07-19 A golden spew of sound and lyric This album caught my attention because Amazon put it in my recommended buys and I immediately loved the cover. On impulse, despite having heard nothing about or by Santogold I bought it and was not disappointed (my favourite impulse buy to date). The record is a mix of sounds that I am unable to accurately categorize though my best attempt would put it between modern R&B and Electronic influenced pop (dirtier though). There is the modern R&B cockiness found in the lyrics of songs like "Unstoppable" and "Creator": "me I'm a creator/ thrill is to make it up/ the rules I break got me a place/ up on the radar." However, this is backed up with heavily synthesized sounds which put it apart from mainstream R&B as it currently stands. Other songs such as "Lights Out" reveal a hot bass line with a sweet voice and fewer ambient electronic noises - you'd almost think they were by different artists. This album sounds great and I don't own anything like it, frankly I don't think there is anything like it (the nearest I could come up with was NYPC but they aren't that close) and I suggest you buy it. 2008-07-14 |
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