The ArchAndroid
by Janelle Monáe

From corenfro TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/01/2017 03:21 | #188500 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Underrated neo-soul / funk with a psychedelic twist and great guitar sounds. So much good music on this at such a high level of output. Riding on the wings of Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, MJ, James Brown, Outkast, Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot, she was able to do what a bit of what St. Vincent, FKA Twigs, Beyonce, Solange, Grimes, and Kendrick have all been since intensely praised for, yet half a decade earlier. It's as good as anything that's out this decade in this genre.

The potions are a coming and a bubbling on this klido piece. Fresh from the alchemists lair comes this album just over one year old. Fall head over heels for the golden hooks of 'Faster' and heart pounding throttling fish on a dish vocal gymnasts of 'Tightrope'. Creativity is cast into this album. Lots of electronic gizmos and hooks are too. They are important I should say. The one on production duties delivers more magic than a magician on world tour and the singer vocals are astounding while having a talent for the pen. I mean, 'Cold War' is top 40 hit parade material with a melody to rival some of the biggest ones throughout the decades. However... that is not the direction the album is aiming for. Not the vocation it was conceived to do. You see, this is a concept album at heart. Perhaps it is the violins and cellos which take your shoes off at the start. The applause maybe? What about the fact there is an overture on the piece? That has to count for something!? Well, all of them and more. I think this is aiming for the aural cinema's. Seemingly inspired by the film 'Metropolis' and holding a story with the scope of 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' and 'The Wall' if they were happy and content. Not too rigid with the story but does add strength to the album. 'Come Alive (The War Of The Roses)' tumbles in on its own thunder. Can just imagine the frantic group dancing done along to this in a music video. Gets a lot lighter towards the end. Starting from 'Suite III Overture' comes the contemplating. Followed by 'Neon Valley Street' where the twilight has come out behind the steel giants, the vast emptiness of the cities outside is a sleep except for the silent gasps of awesome coming from the tree trunks... or somewhere. Well pluck the neon harp and the take out your electronic organ, you have a box of golden dreams in capsules here.

Monae's ambitious concept is an amalgam of musical forms that encompass virtually the entire history of music in an eclectic and intelligent way. The album opens with a symphonic suite followed by Brazilian and African overtones that marry a frenzied rap with a celestial melody sung by a female choir, while horns, strings, syncopated beats and digital sound effects sculpt an earthly soundscape. This segues into a jiving stomp that harks back to the age of jump blues and charleston. Other musical forms include easy-listening 1960s-style pop and ballads, 1970s James Brown-style funk, Anita Baker-esque soulful vocals, Brazilian samba, jazzy chamber music, intelligent Stevie Wonder-style soul and 1980s synth-pop. Probably the centrepieces are the frenetic 'Come Alive' and the medieval-intoned '57821', one of the most poignant moments in the recording history of her generation. Monae manages to utilize these various genres to create a unique, dizzying and breathless work.

This is a stunning album, a true journey from start to finish, totally defying any genre categorisation.. I mean you could call this a "pop" or "RnB" record, but there are elements of classical music, jazz and soul to name a few (I think hairy covered that aspect well). Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that all people will like it for that, but I find such diversity in a mainstream act to be very refreshing.
And I would disagree with those talking about the first half being better. I think that every single track in the second half (in Suite III) is great, from the calm 57821 to the epic BabopbyeYa.
Track picks: Neon Valley Street, 57821, Faster, Sir Greendown

From RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/24/2016 04:47 | #169608 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Mushrooms and Roses was probably my favorite track (probably because I'm a boring rocker). I do find this album tantalizing... but idk... just not that interesting. Good palate cleanser, but not a main dish?