LindsayBW's Full Review: Tasty [Clean] [Edited] by Kelis
I have to admit that I don't really know who Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEESE) is. I remember seeing a video with a lady in a fro screaming "I hate you so much right now!" and being a little surprised. Oh, I was young and foolish. Anyway, apparently Kaliedoscope, Kelis Rogers's debut, was pretty good, but I never heard it. After that, she disappeared into a Wanderland (haha... okay, do your research and you'll get it... seriously) and came back with a very tasty Milkshake.
And I liked Milkshake. So I downloaded a few tracks off this album, and being impressed overall, decided to shell out the whole $10 and actually buy it. Go me.
Tasty starts out with a somewhat cheesy intro of Kelis feeding things to somebody... this is an effective little thing that will make you smile enough, and the end where Kelis mutters "Okay, now I'm gonna give you something really good." sets the tone for most of the rest of the album.
Trick Me starts off with a bass heavy beat lined with a summery sounding guitar. It's a somewhat reggae-influenced R&B jam, which wasn't exactly what I was expecting from this CD. It's a pleasant surprise though, as it's a nice fusion. And Kelis is one sassy chica. "Freedom to you has always been who ever landed on your d*ck." she sings to someone who tricked her once, but won't trick her twice. This is a jam of a song, it's nicely produced and she isn't really overshadowed much on this track either. I like this one.
Next up is Kelis's big single Milkshake. Apparently this song is about whatever aspect about yourself is your strongest, personality, sense of humor, whatever. Right. It's a song about t*ts, right? Anyway, this is a bass heavy track with all kinds of sound effects thrown in. (My personal favorite is the cowbell.) It's a ridiculously silly song, but it's got a gritty vibe and a sing-along chorus that any girl will shake her mammaries to.
After the hip-hop flavor of the ode to blended ice cream comes a somewhat surprising heavy guitar beat. This is Keep It Down. This is an awesome song. It's got a heavy muffled guitar until 40 seconds into it when it goes acoustic with a cute little melody and even birds chirping. This song is just a fusion of all kinds of different styles that really shouldn't work. But it does. It's like a perfect blend of... well, milk and ice cream, maybe. But this is certainly one tasty track, and my personal favorite.
One of the things that I've learned to really like about Kelis is that she certainly isn't a slut (she's dating Nas... and that's it), but she sure knows how to enjoy a good romp in the sheets... or in this case, the bushes. Her boyfriend Nas makes a cameo on the ode to screwing in the open in In Public, one of the horniest songs ever. "Drive this car real fast, I'll lay my head down and make your body blast." she sings in a sultry alto. Rowr! Nas's guest rap is even listenable, and I hate rap. The only problem is how bass heavy this song is - it almost drowns out Kelis's randy vocals. It just sounds like someone (maybe one of those guys who worked for free on this album?) turned the bass up too high and the vocals too low. Otherwise, this is a perfect song to... well, to do it to.
Next up is Flashback, which is a fitting title to this pseudo-80s track. This song has a summery feel, with the lyrics and the sexy vocals. It's that kind of lazy song that you want to lie out and get a tan to. Musically, it's a mix of Prince, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, and Michael Jackson (if simply for the "Yeah, yeah" on the chorus). And you gotta give it up for a woman who will flat out sing "You make me cum." Nice! The keychange is classic and couldn't fit better into this song. This is a really good song that can really be described as chiiiill.
The same kind of vibe keeps up on Protect My Heart, which has more of an uptempo beat. The chorus has a great synth rhythm in it, which really makes the whole song worth listening to. This one's kind of a grower though - I didn't like it at first listen, and it's still not one of my favorites, but every time I listen to it, I like it more. This whole retro thing works pretty well for our little Kelis.
Millionaire is next, which features Andre 3000. From the first beat, you can tell that the (*cough* better *cough*) half of Outkast had a lot of influence on this song - it's really in his own unique style. It's a good enough track, but Kelis barely makes an appearance, which is quite a disappointment. She doesn't even show up for a minute and a half. But this is still a great song. Her voice just oozes sex, and its combination of fast beat and slow vocals is a winning one.
Going back another decade, we have the 70s sounding neo-soul track Glow, which features Raphael Saadiq. Yet again, I admit: never heard of the guy. But if this track is any indication of the guy's work, I dig it. I love the combination of soul instruments used in this song, and the laid back melody works so well. "One plus you just equals me." they croon. Aw. Kelis's voice sounds particularly good in this song too, with a bit of a raspy quality to it, that works exceptionally. This is an awesome change of pace on this CD.
The soul influence keeps up on Sugar Honey Iced Tea, but this combines it with a more modern beat. (By the way, the title is an acronym... come on, do it.) I love the laid back beat of this song, and the melody fits like a glove. The only complaint I have is with one of the stupidest trends in hip-hop lately: manipulating a voice to sound like a little kid. Ugh. Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and now Kelis. Anyway, if you ignore that, this is a good song, that even brings a saxophone in in the middle! Overall, I like this one.
This Raphael dude makes a return on Attention, which for some reason, is one of the most memorable tracks on this disc. I don't really know how to describe this song, really. But it's cool. It has a laid-back beat (like most of the rest of this CD), which is summery and hot, indeed. The chorus is really memorable, and this is definitely one of the catchiest songs on the CD, as Kelis coos "I need attention... from yoou." After about a minute and a half, a guitar chimes in with the frilly twinkly sounds that are spread throughout this song. This is a great one.
It's hard to hear the 70s influence in Rolling Through The Hood if you're not listening for it, but this song is neo-soul at its best. Everything about it. It takes a light seventies styled melody and puts a heavier beat behind it. And Kelis's voice is perfect on this song. Not even the backing vocals could mess this one up. It is a jazzy number that perfectly fuses old school R&B and new school hip-hop. Definitely a stand out track.
After all of this retro beat, it's both surprising and refreshing to hear some good ol' (or new... whatever) R&B. Stick Up has a hip-hopped beat with a synth melody and some weird strings thrown in at random places. (I think that's for dramatic effect.) This has the same syndrom as In Public though, and that's the beat overlaying her music far too much. I would've liked to crank up her vocals a bit more, but, hey, I'm not a producer. I'm not a huge fan of this song, especially the whistling that comes in in the middle that just makes it sound like it's from The Haunted Mansion soundtrack. I have to admit, I like her little rap, but overall, this doesn't sound like a very well crafted song to me.
Marathon, the last track on this CD starts out with a medley of clapping beats and strings, that have a great hip-hop beat. This would be nothing special if it weren't for the unexpected melody. The layered vocals on the chorus are really just ingenius, and surprisingly fit into this song really well. And later the twinkly sounds make you want to dance around in slow motion. It's an odd mix, but it works surpisingly well and ends this CD with a lovely melody and a cheeky "Okay, now swallow."
This disc is a real R&B gem most music buyers will brush off because of the silly single Milkshake, but the rest of this CD surpasses the sing-song ode to the chest with intellegent, powerful, assertive lyrics and laid back melodies and beats. None of this CD really fits the mold of its lead single's dance-infused R&B, but it's a nice surprise to find a CD you can sit back and relax to. The CD has its sloppy moments, but it's definitely a successful foray into experimental R&B.
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