The Drop music blog
New albums by Santogold and The Roots bring the funk
By Courtney Baldasare, Assistant Entertainment Editor
May 6, 2008 | 6 a.m.
Kids, grab your neon hi-top kicks and “stunna shades”– it’s a week of not one but two noteworthy album releases, each with enough funk and beat to power Kanye West’s entire “Glow in the Dark” tour.
Alright, maybe not the entire tour. Maybe just a couple of days. Maybe I’m just inexplicably exhilarated at the thought of seeing Kanye West the day after my birthday this summer. Nonetheless, two electrifying artists have just released albums that serve as testaments to their abundant talent. New wave princess Santogold dives right into the hip-hop scene with her first full-length album, appropriately entitled Santogold. On the other hand, soul funk veterans The Roots have released yet another groovy album, Rising Down.
Santogold, also known as Santi White, has already gained an international pat on the back with the new release of the album. The verdict? She is, in fact, a Golden God(dess). If her hipster-inspired album cover (on which a gold crystalline mass is projected from her expressive lips) doesn’t support this presumption, then her punk, lurid, ‘80s attitude should cover it.
Songs such as “Shove It,” “Creator” and “You’ll Find a Way” are destined to be the next scene-setting dance club (or Dance or Die) hits. The entire album is full of dope beats that invigoratingly fuse with her thrilling, loopy voice and sucker-punch yelps. As she pungently chants, “We think you’re a joke/Shove your hope where it don’t shine,” I can’t help but sneak a grin and inevitably move along to the commanding beat. The whole sound is simply intoxicating.
With a sound so similar to that of reigning new wave queen M.I.A., Santogold already has a cult of techno Psychobilly followers that will undoubtedly be just as turned on to her beats. If the two disco divas don’t sound similar enough, then check out their nearly indistinguishable looks. Not only could they pass as relatives but their neon rave threads and wild bling also carry the exact same sort of “let’s rage” attitude. But hey, who’s honestly complaining about an M.I.A. look-a-like and sound-a-like? Sounds wicked to me.
On a different, less techno-ridden note, The Roots sound as brilliant and passionate as ever on their new album. I fell in love with them after their Lollapalooza 2007 performance, as they are just as captivating live as they are on their albums. And come on, with a sousaphone player who goes by Tuba Gooding Jr., what’s not to love?
The Roots are just cool. I realize that’s a poor choice of words and that I should really dig a little deeper to find something more fitting, but cool is just what they are. The album definitely portrays this essence. Personal favorites of mine from the new album are “Rising Down,” “Get Busy,” “I Can’t Help It” and “The Show.”
I’m most partial toward “The Show” in particular because it features Common, within whom I am utterly infatuated (understatement of the century). Another perk of the album is the frequent collaboration with other admired artists, some hip-hop and some definitely not. Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump are just a few of the featured guest musicians. They all complement each other well, providing for yet another exceptional album by The Roots.
I’ve always been a fan of solid hip-hop tracks, whether they’re slow and soulful or undomesticated and vibrant. Both of the albums, though relatively dissimilar, won my heart. Whether I’m craving a soundtrack to a dance party or to a summer drive, this week’s album releases have me covered either way. Bring on the beats!
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