This is a continuation of her Metropolis series, but, without the Overtures and Interludes, it would be a normal Janelle Monáe album and I’d prefer it that way. The concept, which has her playing an android character named Cindi Mayweather, is silly and seemingly pointless. The radio bits, led by the voice of an annoying DJ, are especially distractive. Not that the songs themselves are without fault.
They are technically engaging. The songstress has a knack for crafting original music that recaptures the vibes of 1970s and 1960s soul. It’s Code sounds like a lost Jackson Five ballad while Look Into My Eyes channels Lena Horne. But they don’t have the memorable melodies to match. This Electric Lady, even with guest vocalists like Erykah Badu and Prince at her helm, thrives on style over substance.
my rating : 3 of 5
2013
…a would be reviewer fails miserably…
To offer another perspective: This is my first Janelle Monáe CD, so I don’t know anything about her character Cindi Mayweather. While previewing this album, I liked the sound and her voice which she can do a lot with, the beautiful live instrumentals, and notably this album adds something new and different to my music collection.
When I burned my purchased download to CD, I left off the few, short DJ interludes because I personally didn’t want to break the flow of the music. If one doesn’t care for the DJ interludes, there’s plenty of terrific music (songs) on this album to burn a full-sized album. (I’ve seen some albums that are full of skits; that’s not the case here.)
While listening to the album (without the DJ interludes), I could not tell this was an android character story. *****It’s just good music to me.***** I’m not a die-hard fan of anyone and am open to exploring artists that I spot at different points in their music career, and if their music at that time ‘wows’ me, and I can afford the cost for the album – great. This is a quality album. It’s clear Janelle didn’t just pump this album out. It’s clear she didn’t just jump on some so-called popular trend. Some artists and label-mates tend to assemble or pump out too many ‘albums’ too quick and it shows (not the case here). So, I appreciate this album!
So this album, and Janelle, is a fresh & new experience for me.
I totally agree about the skits. Those things were annoying back in 1993, I certainly don’t need them now! What ever happened to “Less is More?”
And I largely agree that Janelle should drop the Cindy Mayweather bit. Part of the reason David Bowie’s sci-fi concept album worked so well on “Ziggy Stardust” is because it wasn’t really much of a concept, more of a pastiche. He put most of his energy on delivering a tight musical package rather than the story. Such a story will inevitably distract from the songs, and will often seem silly. I wish Janelle could be comfortable with her own weirdness enough to gyrate and give her wide-eyed stares without needing some robot character as an excuse. She’s most compelling when she seems most real, but there’s a distance that she can’t get over.
Still, despite these distracting elements, and despite some less engaging moments on her albums, she’s given us a whole lot of strong songs to enjoy. It’s sometimes frustrating to experience her wonderful talent not yet quite honed, but her talent is still quite remarkable and it’s been a joy for me to experience her journey.