Skunk Anansie smells good
By Jason Kosareff
Daily Forty-Niner
The loudest woman on earth, or at least
in England, fronts the stylishly dark British-pop band Skunk Anansie.
Her name is Skin, and without her vocals,
Skunk Anansie wouldnít be much more than your average sounding electronic-rock
crossover band.
Skunk's new album, "Post Orgasmic Chill,"
is an amazing production that serves as an excellent vehicle for Skin's
vocals.
It's nothing against the other lads in
Skunk, they do make great music.
However, Skin canít help but steal most
of the limelight with her shrieking and wailing vocals.
"Post Orgasmic Chill" is definitely one
of the best albums this year.
While Skunk has a wide European following,
they havenít quite caught on in the United States.
The English press has had a field day with
Skinís vocals on every past Skunk Anansie album, but in my opinion, they
are just revealing their ... um, inadequacies.
She is a force to be reckoned with, and
she brings a strong feminist message to the table.
Skin has one of those voices that makes
you say, "damn, thatís a hell of a voice," whenever you hear it.
It's really something impressive, like
Whitney Houston on a bad acid trip.
Armed with intelligent lyrics and an abundance
of attitude, Skin makes other female vocalists pale as prepubescent choir
girls.
In another, better reality, Skin would
be a super heroine who flattens buildings with her sonic frequencies.
Skin is a tall, black, bald, lesbian who
is outspoken about race and gender oppression. Unfortunately, her lyrics
waver from militant to vulnerable.
The album rips open with ìCharlie Big Potato,î
a sumptuous, loud piece of music textured with electronic loops and carrying
a huge chorus.
On the track "We Don't Need Who You Think
You Are," Skin stands firmly against racism and national oppression.
She really cuts loose on this track, building
up the tension by singing into a low, sexy tone until she unleashes her
blood curdling banshee wails.
Later, she plays the part of a clingy,
codependent chick on "I'll Come Running Back to You."
Over all, the album is a very complicated
emotional journey. For every emotion, Skin has a vocal range
that captures exactly the mood she is trying to create.
Skin records her own backing vocals, which
allows a phenomenal display of her range.
Her voice has tremendous power and beauty.
Perhaps she is from another planet.
It would certainly explain her look. |
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