People should move back when they see Kelela walking by, for this is someone who is about to take microphones away from singers who are unable to share the type of emotion she is able to create. CUT 4 ME could easily be a proper album but she is calling this a mix tape, or street album. I became aware of her through her great song with Kingdom called “Bank Head” and now the more I hear it, the more I leave Kingdom out of the equation and push Kelela in the forefront, even though I know he is hugely responsible for the creation of the song. On this album, she gets a chance to explore different vocal styles and textures, so it doesn’t stay in the same style and/or genre. What I like is how she arranges her vocals and harmonies, this is someone who understands the full range of her voice and understands what it means to push the dynamics of what she sings. What also works for me too is that she isn’t afraid to show/share her human side. I know, to be human is such a refreshing change from the singers who do nothing but be materialistic on a regular basis, but going back to “Bank Head”, she begins the song by singing “I’m kicking an old bad habit”. It’s someone admitting to a perceived fault, but she hopes her faults and imperfections will be of interest to someone else. I would prefer to hear that over a song that is just about dancing or partying, I want something from the soul. These songs could easily dominate the charts if the music industry was very different, but I hope as she continues to make music, she will push the limits of her talents in the years to come. This has become one of my favorite albums of the year.
(CUT 4 ME is available as a free download, click to FadeToMind.net to find out how.)
This Is Book's Music 