Sunday, May 18, 2008
A+E, Music, Reviews

ERYKAH BADU

“NEW AMERYKAH PT.1 (4TH WORLD WAR)”

   (UNIVERSAL/MOTOWN)

Like the cover painting of dozens of symbols/objects crammed into Erykah Badu’s immense afro, her first release in five years is a lot to absorb.
   
This hour-long opus—including the unlisted extra track, “Honey,” the first single but least representative song—is a bold, bewildering, enlightening, enchanting, infuriating, challenging and above all ambitious project that expands upon Badu’s diverse talents. Production by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Madlib and even soul/jazz icon Roy Ayers pushes the already eclectic nature of the songs, creating a patchwork of sounds clearly intended to confront and muddy listeners’ expectations.
  
Badu’s rap-singing is put to excellent use on “Soldier,” a treatise on the dangers of life in the ghetto, specifically black-on-black crime. She overdubs her vocals, shifting into subtle cacophony backed only by stark drums, bass and keyboards on “The Cell,” another exploration of the horrors of urban life.
  
“Twinkle,” a stripped-down, rather bizarre beat-driven track with plinking piano and phase-shifted vocals, is indicative of the weirdest extremes of the disc, as is the following “Master Teacher,” which includes a sample from Curtis Mayfield’s “Freddie’s Dead” as one of the elements in a disconcertingly obtuse collage of sound without a chorus or much of a melody.
   
“New Amerykah…” is meticulously constructed for repeated listenings, both to soak up the myriad intricacies and untangle its Rubik’s Cube layers. That takes time and concentration, but like the best albums, it’s worth it. 3 STARS—Hal Horowitz