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"The Id"
In 1999, Macy Gray's On How Life Is
filled a void that no one knew existed. The eccentric singer's
unusual voice--more sand than gravel--and her eyebrow-raising
lyrics consumed a massive space that was accessible but also
controversial. After all the hype surrounding her just-add-water
superstardom, the daunting question her follow-up, The Id, must
answer is how well she can weather the abundant exposure. Over
the course of Gray's second album, the novelty of her vocal style
is somewhat tempered by her limited range. That said, what she
lacks in octave-conquering she and producer Rick Rubin more than
make up for in creativity. The album's many eclectic singles
stand strong. "Psychopath" opens the disc with a wall-of-sound
block party; it's a funky, celebratory track, well endowed with
twangy surf guitar, glimpses of theremin, a ragga-inspired bass
line, and lots of goodies floating in the song's highest register
(backing vocals, splashes of cymbals, piano). Gray's album also
benefits from a host of R&B and hip-hop guests, including
Slick Rick, Sunshine Anderson, Angie Stone, Mos Def, and most
notably Erykah Badu, who supports Gray on "Sweet Baby,"
a moving uptempo ballad that easily rivals the best that '70s
soul has to offer. Once again, Macy's lyrical sensibility is
gripping, vacillating from whimsical ("Oblivion") to
disturbing ("Gimme All Your Lovin' or I Will Kill You").
In all, Macy continues to wave her R&B freak flag while digging
deep in the trenches of the vividly real. --Beth Massa |
