The Pleasures I’m Guilty Of

For me Lady Sovereign has been a very guilty  pleasure of mine, and  her latest Jigsaw, is no different. As an (amateur) music critic, I should be demanding more from a sub 4 minute pop artist, and wondering when more Grime scene collaborations, ala The Battle from Vertically Challenged, make their way to a new album. But I digress, or rather regress, as I’ve found Lady S-O-V! to be an artist where you must leave your reservations, as well as your criticisms at the door, if you’re to ever enjoy a single moment of her style, or as some may assess, shtick.

I’m going to put the downside of the album out of the way up front. For instance I  haven’t found anything on this album to be truly new or shocking, even against the grain for a typical S-O-V album. That said, the title track comes off a tad darker and more serious, perhaps an attempt in taking a more adult approach to her song smithing, but it’s the rare sunspot of soul bearing found on this outing in which she makes a subtle attempt at singing.

Also, I’d be doing a disfavor to many a music fan if I were to omit mention of So Human that hits you second track out of the gates. It utilizes a sample from Rob Smith’s Close to Me, as in the Cure catalogue. Let’s put my impressions of the song aside and just say, every time I hear a sample, or even a cover for that matter, it always leaves me wanting to stop half track in and listen to the original. So, not a fan.

Where this album shines, is oddly where it falters, with  by the numbers tracks like I Got You Dancing… and I Got The Goods. Of course many of Lady Sov’s songs tend to be hit and miss with me, and Jigsaw follows queue. I will say that the production is seemingly superior from what I have come expect from this artist, in fact I’m starting to hear a bit more Western style hip-hop influence this time around.

Again, playing good against the bad, Jigsaw feels short, being only 10 tracks unless you get the iTunes bonus track, with all but one track at radio play length. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. Expect another release heavy on the fun factor and light on anything to be taken seriously.

We discuss this album as well as Mirah, and Dan Deacon, in episode 14 of the KNMS podcast