MOG

Estelle seems like she's always been on the pulse of what's hot in UK music. Her debut album, The 18th Day (released in 2004), was simple, old-skool hip hop. Almost immediately her music picked up the pace and sounded like a precursor to grime ("Free"). Professionally, though, Estelle felt her career wasn't advancing fast enough. She's been outspoken about her feelings toward the UK music industry and their lack of support for urban music. She claims she had to move to NYC to get the recognition and fame that she deserved all along. We'll never know for sure, because Shine (her first release on a US label - John Legend's Homeschool Records) is so completely different from her previous recordings, it's not a fair comparison.

The new album's success could be attributed to the label move, but more likely it stems from adopting a more widely appealing sound. The album features production from an array of studio superstars, including Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen), Wyclef Jean (Mary J. Blige, Shakira), Swizz Beatz (Eve, Jay-Z, Beyonce), will.i.am (Justin Timberlake, Diddy, Chris Brown), and Supa Dups (of the famed Black Chiney soundsystem). Shine is equal parts soul, R&B and hip hop. Different producers add different elements of reggae, jazz, house and/or grime. The UK audience immediately embraced this aspect and created flawless bootleg remixes with bangin' house or bassline music. What's funny is that these remixes represent what the album would probably sound like if it had been produced and released in the UK. Without even trying, Estelle managed to hold onto her existing fanbase while reaching a whole new audience worldwide.

One theme omnipresent in all her music, past to present, is the strong influence of the Jamaican diaspora in England. I can imagine her plugging right into Jamaica, NY upon arrival in the States, because you can still hear the influence on her new album with songs like "Magnificent" featuring Kardinal Offishall, "American Boy" featuring Kanye West and others. As we learned in her 2005 hit "1980," Estelle grew up in a small house with a multi-generational family under one roof:

"I grew up in the 1980's/in a 4-bedroom house my family, my Grandma ... there was life like u never seen/Daddy taking extra people in/come dinner time It was tippin' 18"

I feel like this vibe carries over to her music, as if everyone in the room adds an element to each song. For example, listen to "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)," the track that opens Shine:

Do you hear the different voices adding their two cents? It's as if her sister and her father or close friends were in the studio with her. A few of the songs on Shine are made of many layers of sounds that keep rhythm; rhythms similar to those made by washboards, double dutch jump ropes, clapping and tapping - what I like to call "front porch music" or "stoop tunes." These rhythms are universal in urban neighborhoods the world over. Even smooth and laid back tunes like "No Substitute Love" feature double-tempo rhythms while Estelle's voice leisurely tells her tale. Meanwhile, other songs consist of nothing more than a drum loop and a few piano chords and Estelle easily fills the space with her voice.

Her voice has the grit of Janis Joplin or Macy Gray, but the way she sings adds a velvety smoothness. When she sings, her voice is sweet and syrupy. When she raps, it becomes strong and impassioned. She's able to draw listeners in like sailors to a siren's voice. While under her spell, she hits them with hard knock tales from her life. She can sound as fierce as Jean Grae or Lady Saw when she's spitting rhymes, but when she sings again, the sweetness in her voice soothes the soul completely. I think it is this seamless balance that makes Shine so popular with so many different people. Many new fans will love her as a soul diva, while long-time fans can still enjoy her as the grime-y MC they know and love. And besides just the resonance of her words, who can resist her London accent?

The infectious single "American Boy" with Kanye West has become Estelle's anthem for leaving England, in search of fame and fortune. When I played this song at home, my mates said it sounded like ‘70s radio hits: a little soul, a touch of disco, and Estelle's voice ringing out like Diana Ross's. It's a reasonable conclusion, especially in the U.S. (and for anyone trying to forget their disco days). Songs like "American Boy" may stir some memories of the Swinging Seventies for her new American audience. For me, this is great because it takes me back to a delightfully carefree era. I was a young girl at home with my mum and she would dance to the radio hits while she cooked and cleaned all day. At night, we would both watch Sha-Na-Na with dreamy eyes - mine for being awake so late, hers for Bowser. Since Estelle was born in 1980, she probably didn't hear much disco growing up, but she would have heard plenty of UK house music in London (which sounds a bit like disco), and despite its American producers, Estelle's music is more akin to house than disco. I think it's an interesting, unintended juxtaposition that Estelle's first US release reaches fans who will be reminded of an era before her time. Maybe it's this sense of retro that makes Estelle seem older and classier than her years would suggest.

Also in "American Boy," the Jamaican influence is unmistakable as she tells Kanye "Tell 'Em Wha' Gwa'an Blood." She uses the term of endearment a few times on the album and other Jamaican slang as well. Here's the video for "American Boy" if you want to listen again:

"Magnificent" is my favorite song on Shine. Its upbeat, skankin' rhythm just lifts my soul! I've been trying to figure out what the underlying reggae riddim is, but I think I need help from Baudolino or someone on this. As with the rest of the album, Estelle's lyrics are smooth and enchanting. Kardinal Offishal brings his sexy ragga to the mic and adds a little Caribbean fire to the track. It really is a magnificent pairing!

audio and lyrics for "Magnificent"

The first half of the album is so amazing (and features all the singles out thus far), it's hard to remember what comes after. But the second half is just as strong and features songs with Cee-Lo and John Legend. The album is rich and bumpin' all the way through. There's never a dull moment in almost an hour of yumminess.

audio for "Pretty Please" featuring Cee-Lo

Estelle and Cee-Lo would have been HUGE in the US in the late '70s. I should send this album to my mum...

[[Note: If you decide to buy this album as a digital download, let me know how it sounds. I bought it from 7Digital coz I fully support them as a company (their system is so easy and fun to use and their music is DRM-free). Unfortunately, the files I downloaded from them sound crappy. Everything sounds compressed or lossy or something; the bass fuzzes out, even when listening on a big, bass-friendly system. I had to play something else to make sure my speakers hadn't blown, but sure enough, it's only this album that sounds like this. I'd like to know how this compares to downloads from other outlets - if you dl this album, please let me know how the quality sounds! Then again, this was the first time I bought an mp3 album from an online store (though I've downloaded plenty of free, legal mp3s that sound fine). I'd love to get Shine on vinyl (my usual format) but now that I've spent the money on the mp3 version, it seems lame to have to buy it again. I'm a huge supporter of labels/stores who release mp3s for download while you wait for the record to arrive in the mail (or a voucher to pick it up at the store or something similar). To me, this is the only format that makes sense these days.]]

Posted on 05/30/2008