Monae is Money: Album Review

I first read about Janelle Monáe in a Boston Globe article about artists who really lit up this year’s SXSW festival. The article’s description of her diverse musical influences piqued my interest, but it was not until a friend sent me a track from her 2007 EP Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase that I actually got around to listening to this singer, often described as a female Outkast. I listened and was blown away, and had to get the whole album.

Monáe’s story is pretty interesting. She was born in Kansas City, Kansas, but left her hometown to attend the American Musical Academy in New York City. Her plan at first was to pursue a career on Broadway, but she felt limited by the range of stage roles for black women and so moved to the ATL to pursue her own musical goals. Her first major exposure came when she was featured on two tracks from Outkast’s 2006 Idlewild (“Call The Law” and “In Your Dreams”). And then in 2007 she released her EP.

Metropolis is an ambitious effort. Some tracks are brilliant, as fresh as anything I’ve heard in quite awhile, while a few tracks are relatively bland, both musically and lyrically. Yet throughout, Monáe’s vocal abilities shine. She sings with a range of styles, from a beautiful operatic warble (enhanced by auto-tune) on “Cybertronic Purgatory” to the acrobatic, powerful voice of an R&B diva on several other tracks. This stylistic range allows her to combine elements from many different genres into a sound that is all her own.

The strongest tracks are the upbeat ones, particularly “Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!” and “Sincerely, Jane.” The former is reminiscent of Gnarls Barkley, Outkast, and even No Doubt in its combination of rock and R&B influences, and features futuristic lyrics that would make Deltron 3030 smile: “I’m a cyber girl without a face a heart or a mind / A product of the man, I’m a product of the man.” And “Sincerely, Jane” is the high point of the album. A raunchy, brass-driven romp that sounds like it could be a James Bond theme song, it employs braying trombones and a tight string ensemble to great effect. Combine the effective orchestration, Monáe’s voice, and a harmonically interesting chorus, and you get a great track.

Unfortunately, the last two tracks of the album, “Mr. President” and “Smile”, are not as exciting. “Mr. President,” like “Sincerely, Jane” uses brass sounds, but here they sound like a crappy MIDI sample plunked out on a keyboard. And the political lyrics are relatively straightforward: “Can we talk about the education of our children, a book is better than a bomb any day.” I’m not knocking the message, but I don’t feel these lyrics cover any new ground. And “Smile” is a relatively standard ballad, with a soft plucked electric guitar accompaniment. While the music itself is fairly generic, Monáe manages to save the track with her voice. On "Smile" you can really hear the makings of a Broadway showstopper.

All in all, a great EP from a future star—I look forward to what comes next. Here are "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!" and "Sincerely, Jane." Enjoy.

Janelle Monae - Violet Stars Happy Hunting (YSI) (filesavr)
Janelle Monae - Sincerely, Jane (YSI) (filesavr)