CD Review – tUnE-yArDs
w h o k i l l
4AD Records
When I first played this album, the first minute blew me away. It was like a chaotic dancefloor version of “My Country Tis of Thee” done by the 90s rap group Arrested Development. I instantly took notice and was floored from start to finish.
“Es-so” has a jazzy feel with hip-hop undertones. It’s like India.Arie fronting A Tribe Called Quest and running that through a Radiohead and “Stomp” filter. Lead singer Merrill Garbus commands your attention and then holds it along with the rest of her band (which include two saxophones!) until you pay attention and realize that they are amazing. They take almost every conceivable genre and ball it up in a cacophonous mess that is as melodic as anything you’ll hear this year.
This entire album is truly original and I found myself nodding my head, smiling to myself and darn near cheering after every song. The tUnE-yArDs may be easy to find on Google, but they are honestly unclassifiable. This album must be heard by anyone who wants to hear the early favorite for Album of the Year.
