Striking Gold

If there were ever a better time for a funky, melodic, sound explosion, 80's loving, singer, I wouldn't know. Santi White aka Santogold lets loose with piercing shrieks at the beginning of "Creator," and from there it only gets more wild. The smooth bass lines juxtaposed with the jarring, crunchy chords of the lead guitar build the verse in "You'll Find A Way," just to seamlessly flow into this dreamy bridge, which inevitably cuts back into the headbanging chorus.

Santogold's self-titled album is her maiden voyage, literally. We start off with L.E.S. Artistes which sounds like it was signed, sealed, and delivered by less-babbling Macy Gray. This simple pop tune sets the preface for the album and slowly draws the unaware listener into the world that is Santogold. There are enough musical influences infused in this album to break the backslash button on your computer. Noticing that the album received pushes from genre expanding producers such as Diplo, Sinden, and Switch, the only expectation could be the unexpected.

One true gem comes in the bass-heavy pop tune, "Lights Out." It is just a pure example how effortlessly she can change dynamic with her voice. With a surgical cut, she slices open her pathos and bleeds directly into the core of this tune, giving it a certain vulnerability. Yet, Santogold never seems to relinquish her iron-tight fist on this record or her listeners.
I'm still shaking my head/The one you account for/I keep just one step ahead/There's no place to run. Her bravado seems at some points unparalleled and unheralded.

This album, although drawing comparisons with M.I.A.'s work, might stand as undefinable. People from every genre are clamoring to put this album in their tent, but to the girl who grew up listening to The Pixies and 1980s pop music, definition is human habit. As mechanical as this record may be, it all seems to congeal into this natural, organic byproduct of music and true creativity.

8/10

This. Is. Truth.