Macy Gray
Sony Music Entertainment
Macy Gray?s wearable advertisement at the ?MTV Video Music Awards? may have been undeniably tacky, but anyone who followed the instructions written in masking tape on Gray?s dress and bought her newest CD has found that she was giving great advice.
Gray?s new album, the id, rocks. Beginning with the first song, ?Relating to a Psychopath,? any listener will be begging for more.
?Relating to a Psychopath? starts out with a hot 70s, disco-like beat that stays strong until the final words, ?Love is butter, won?t you be my bread?? Some of the words on the first track are a little corny, but one definitely can look past that when they find themselves tapping their feet and dancing to the beat. This song is fun, and listeners will want to hear it over and over again. It would put anyone in a good mood with its crazy lyrics like, ?Hot like hot wings and hot chocolate in hell, cold like in my isolation cell in the winter while kissing Mr. Freeze.? The lyrics actually are pretty serious, but the upbeat rhythm gets listeners pumped.
The quality of music remains constant throughout the CD, even through the style changes.
The second song, ?Boo,? is a big change from the first with a more mellow, laid-back sound. The beat, again, keeps the listener?s attention, and the words catch the ear with phrases like ?Why am I runnin? from you, and who are these bitches on my answering machine??
?Sexual Revolution,? the third song, starts out with a semi-annoying ballad by Gray with her trademark voice, but that only lasts about one minute and then leads into a song just as fun as ?Relating to a Psychopath.? These two songs are sure to be big hits at Top-40 dance clubs.
Track five, ?Sweet Baby,? has the remnant melody of ?I Try? and ?Why Didn?t You Call Me.? It?s a love song with a lot of soul that will make listeners want to hold their loved one close and dance along with the sweet groove of the song.
The only tracks that may lose the listener?s interest are the last three. At this point, though, listeners are so intrigued by the rest of the CD that they may not care.
The id is even more promising than Gray?s debut album, On How Life Is, which brought the hits ?I Try? and ?Why Didn?t You Call Me.? The CD deals with serious issues ranging from mental disabilities to the importance of children respecting their parents and making the most of their lives (in track four, ?Hey Young World Part 2?). The issues are presented in a fun, lighthearted manner. The themes on the CD include love, sex, violence and a little humor.
Gray, a mother of three, said on the divas.com Website that she was made fun of for her distinctive voice as a child.
?When I was little, I had this really funny voice,? she said. ?Every time I talked, the kids would make fun of me, so I stopped talking. Everybody thought I was shy, but really I was self-conscious of my voice. It never occurred to me that I could sing.?
While this may have been true, Gray has made her voice work to her and her listeners? advantages in the past and will, without a doubt, continue producing more catchy hits. (Grade: A-)
? Kelly Preiser
