LP1

So... I had the privilege of seeing her in concert before I listened to the full album. I had heard her singles but not enough to understand that her oddity all leaned in the same direction. LP1 is undoubtedly one of the most interesting bodies of music I've heard in a long time. 

So if you do end up listening to this because I reviewed it, let me suggest something. Listen to it a good 5 times before you vocalize your feelings, like really let it marinate, because it doesn't make sense at first. Once you know what to listen for, and you accept that her panting voice won't always be the lead, what originally sounded like an uneasing clash of off-tempo sounds shapes into an encompassing wave of intricate sounds.

I'll be honest with you, even after a good 5x through it's still pretty messy. At times it sounds like if you gave your little sister the N64 controller for Smash Bros, and then assigned a sound effect to each button she pressed, and recorded it. In a way, it sounds like she needs to just practice a bit, tighten up. But I think people give her a lot of either leniency or credibility because she has great vocal control, so the seemingly random instrumentals feel balanced by the clearly intentional vocals.

In summary, it's a pure artist's interpretation of sound. For this particular artist, that comes out as R&Bish pop, with the ever-encroaching hip-hop vibe, still in a refrain of self-discovery. 

Rating: 7

Favorite Song: Give Up

Post Script: If you do get a chance to see her live, take it, she really is a performance artist. She travels with a band that plays these (very complex) drum arrangements live, her light show is unusually well-coordinated, and her all around aura is encapsulating. Oh and all her crew has British accents, so it seems more grandiose.