I'm listening to it right now! It's been such a long wait - I'm so excited! Will post my initial thoughts later.Nick wrote:Just finished listening to the new Janelle Monae album. It's really, really good (no surprise there).
EDIT: Verdict. I'm really disappointed. Devastated. I was getting a bad feeling as I was going through the fourth suite. I was always a bit iffy with the single 'Q.U.E.E.N.' the hook is not that good and quite repetitive and it could easily do without the preachy finale. I don't like the mix of 'Electric Lady' it sounds much better live. I don't like the radio skits, it reminds me awfully of the pointless skits in hip-hop albums. I'm disappointed with the number of forgettable tracks - like to me 'Primetime' is completely forgettable and 'We Were Rock & Roll' is cheesy.
'Look Into My Eyes' was the sort of tracks I was expecting. It was sort of thing that was in 'The ArchAndroid'. The fifth suite fares better in that regard, but dynamically I'm missing that nerdy sci-fi 'emotional picture of the mind' concept that was such a big part of her previous two albums and there is a severe lack of great pop hits. Truly, The Electric Lady doesn't sound like it belongs to the Metropolis concept series. Even the second suite isn't that great in my opinion - every song flows into the next but nothing catches me until track 16(!) 'Can't Live Without Your Love' which is a pretty catchy number. 'Dorothy Dandridge Eyes' is another song that sounds considerably better live - it's like on the studio version she has sped it up and added some unfitting drum beat to it (I don't remember it being like that).
Choice cut would only be "Dance Apocalyptic". Not much else to salvage in my opinion. Her weakest album by far, I don't even want to listen to it again that is how bitter I'm feeling right now. 5/10 (and I'm feeling ever-so generous)