You would think that with Zitek at the controls some risks would be taken, but there's nothing challenging here. Food is a decent R&B album built on live instrumentation, something that's been done and done and done again. "Hooch" is maybe the funkiest track here, with a smoky staccato rhythm guitar that goes perfectly with Kelis's husky voice.īut while this all might be new for Kelis, it's nothing we haven't heard before. All the eating seems to have actually changed Kelis’s voice.
#Kelis food full album tv#
The best of it has the brassy psychedelic soul euphoria of the fantastic Second Song from TV on the Radio’s last album. Driven mostly by piano chords, with a huge brass break for the chorus, it's ostensibly a feel-good anthem, but the lyrics point towards a torturous relationship with an ex. Food was created with David Sitek of TV on the Radio and was, apparently, made with casual contributions from his band, between endless tasty meals. Lead single "Rumble" is another highlight. If you heard "Jerk Ribs," a single off the album that first surfaced about a year ago, you'll know what to expect: massive horn riffs, rolling basslines, some epic strings and Kelis, who is as powerful a vocalist as she's ever been. Judged on these grounds, it does have it's strong moments. Instead, it's a collection of soulful rhythm and blues, ably produced by Dave Zitek of TV On The Radio. Many people were probably hoping it would sound like something that actually belongs on Ninja Tune. Given all this, Food is, at first pass, a mild disappointment. Even David Guetta producing on her most recent album, 2010's Flesh Tone, couldn't burst the bubble. Remember "Millionaire"? That shit was a jam. Kelis might have made a name for herself with chart-smashing R&B on majors like Virgin, but her hits were always backed by pretty strange beats, and they've proven to have a much longer shelf-life than most.
Both are prone to throwing fantastic curveballs.