Kaleidoscope

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What is it that makes today's R&B so different, so appealing? An enlightening debate occurred recently, amongst fans of so-called "intelligent dance music", on whether it was "valid" to discuss D'Angelo (and therefore R&B) in that context. One participant thought this would incontrovertibly lead to a situation where Christina Aguilera might be considered "great production". As one smarter contributor noted, "Well, actually ...". For the last few years has seen an explosion of innovation from the R&B scene, which has left other supposedly more serious contenders looking rather sheepish. Who's best-placed to produce music for the 21st century? The sound of this music is sheer futurity: the chopped rhythms; gleaming other-worldly textures; warped vocals; samples from the street, from an ocean of recorded sound - all emanating from the likes of Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Brandy and Monica, Busta Rhymes, wunderkind Rodney Jerkins' and his self-named "darkchild funk" (illustrated on the now classic Whitney Houston number "It's Not Right, But It's Okay"), the divinely trashy Ms. Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" with its drum pattern so smart, so seductive, that you smile each time you hear it. And now Kelis. Whilst this is in no way as astonishing as "Da Real World", "Kaleidoscope" is another mighty fine R&B album, frequently combining great songs with stunning sounds. The first four songs hit home immediately - the production is so clean and sharp; the vocals are so impassioned; each percussive noise is a body blow; each hook, well, hooks. This is a hugely promising debut performance. Hit single "Caught Out There" is rapidly shifting from distinctive cult sensation to a truly memorable piece of music, due in part to a lyric performance of such strength it inexorably drills into the consciousness, and of course Hype Williams' typically breathtaking video, but I think also because of how 'out there' the track actually is: the loping, stop-start rhythm, the wailing, electronic screams of the layered galaxians-style fx, the processed vocals on the chorus. It's something else. "Get Along With You", is this album's "It's Not Right But ...", with staccato plucked strings replacing the thumb piano, set against a rhythm track veering sweetly between jungle, hip-hop and garage - the drum track bobbing and weaving before delivering killer left-right combinations. "Mafia" rejoices in a truly sublime harmony chorus, amidst a filthy rap and sub-bass booms. Not everything works - the three ballads severely suffer in comparison to the force of the other tracks, and a few others are too self-consciously quirky for their own good - neither pop, nor "out there", nor the elusive conjunction of both that sets apart half the tracks here. Whilst Kelis has clear goddess potential, this is really a collaboration with the producers, "Neptunes" aka Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are responsible for, well, production, performance, arrangement - the lot. It's some team, and whilst this album only half works, the half that does is so strong, you can't wait to see where they go next.