New Amerykah, Pt 1 (4th World War) by Erykah Badu
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Artist:
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Album:New Amerykah Part One
As the opener to her fourth studio album New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War), “Amerykahn Promise” encompasses the full flavor that Erykah Badu has to offer this time around. Without much singing from Badu, the song brings us a 1970s funk vibe, complete with wailing police sirens and an announcer’s voice promising “more action, more excitement, more everything.” Just as the music dies down, we hear a short dialogue between the announcer and a computerized voice much like, of all characters, that of Aqua Teen’s Meatwad. Taking these sounds together, their freewheeling essence is the new driving force behind Ms. Badu’s ever-evolving brand of funk/R&B/soul.The lead single, “Honey,” misrepresents the album. As a poppy love song, it’s the most mainstream-sounding song on New Amerykah. The song appears to be an attempt at a much-needed commercial hit intended to push sales. Unable to fit in well anywhere else, “Honey” is the very last of the eleven tracks, with an introductory thank-you speech and a “Please stay tuned for New Amerykah, Pt. 2,” a countdown begins, hosted by the artist herself.
In the meantime, Pt. 1 includes musical interludes in the poetic vein (think beatniks). Listeners have come to know Erykah Badu as a smooth, fluid musician, and the addition of short “intermissions” is unexpected and jarring. The most annoying of these is the one following the (otherwise decent) song “Me.” It’s a high-pitched, autobiographical trumpet solo sing-along in the third person. On the other hand, “My People” is a chant-along, musically resembling an early Nintendo game on the tribal tip. “Master Teacher,” a flurry with special guest Georgia Anne Muldrow, repeatedly begs an answer to the question, "What if there were no ni**as, only master teachers?" before switching gears mid-song to a much more likable, mellowed out, after-hours, loungey-R&B take.
The stand-out songs of the album (“Soldier,” “The Healer,” “Honey,”) present Erykah Badu, more or less, as you know her. In her uniquely nasalized-rasp, she sings to boys in Iraqi fields, to people on the picket line, to sisters in therapy. A sweet flute loop plays as Badu vibes over it. In her voice we can hear how each improvisational note hit, each vocal flourish, plays a role in conveying the overall mood and message of the song. Badu has been known to say she lets the music take over and create itself, and “Soldier” is a good example of this. “The Healer,” meanwhile, sounds like a fusion of cultures, while Erykah Badu sings the opening verse in either a factual or fictional foreign tongue. Regardless, her voice is full of fun inflections, all of which match with the bell-chiming, sitar-plucking beat. The hook presents a Dead Prez-alluding “Hip hop is bigger than…” scenario.
After a listen to Part 1, I’m left wondering what Miss Amerykah will have for us when Part 2 drops. I only hope she’ll be much more successful in bringing “more action, more excitement, more everything.”
Comments (28)
britt, i dig ur review, im sure that shes gonna go harder on the pt. 2.
peace,
p.s. if you havent checked it yet the Dave Chappelle Block Party is a must have for your dvd collection. check it out
thanks, k. Funny you mention Block Party because I was just reminded of it this past weekend and being told, "You gotta see that!" :) Alright, I'll trust y'all and see it...i'm way overdue.
peace!
oh hellz yeah!! is a dope flick, i kno that ur a music lover and kno that you'll dig this one! let me kno what you think after you watch. we could do a joint review!! dopeness!! peace