"While We Sleep in America, Our House is Burning Down"
Santigold, formerly Santogold, came onto the music scene as a solo artist in 2008. She was unique and her sound only reflected her eclectic and eccentric style. By mixing a variety of beats and sounds, her self titled debut album reached critical and commercial success. After a 4 year hiatus from the music world, Santigold is back with a slight name change and a new sophomore album titled Master of My Make-Believe. Re-uniting with great producers Switch and Diplo, this is a step away from the alternative style from her first LP to experiment with electronic, hip-hop, new wave, dubstep, and reggae fusion to deliver a mix of international beats and social commentary.
Opening with the Switch, Q-Tip, and Santigold produced track "GO!" ft Karen O, Gold infuses a military and almost revolutionary vibe about power and jealousy from others that comes with it. This militaristic style seems to resonate throughout the album, especially on her lead and powerful "Disparate Youth". She takes a lighter note on the pop influenced but seductive track "The Riot's Gone" and slows down the tempo on the guitar and percussion driven beat of "God From the Machine". With other influences from African beats on her second single "Big Mouth" and Middle Eastern rhythm fused with dubstep on "Fame" and mix of Asian chimes with some electronic rock on "The Keepers", it is apparent that Santigold is not afraid of exploring new sounds and styles. Many of the tracks are also heavily influenced by Jamaican reggae and dancehall with some strong Hip-Hop beats ("Look at These Hoes").
Even with this trip around the world in experimental sound on Master of My Make-Believe, Santigold is able to connect these eclectic personal styles with her almost magical and precise voice that captures the theme of each song. Regardless if each song is not an instant classic, she is truly an artist that is not afraid to take risks. With this sophomore release, she succeeds in not conforming to industry standards but create her own odd but relatable world of her imagination. Although I doubt this album will be as successful as her first effort, it still has a couple stand out singles and is a solid piece of work. I am excited to see what she may have to deliver in the next few years or so.
"Disparate Youth"
"Big Mouth"
"GO!"
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