Playlouder Review... Rating: **** Elsewhere in the meeja someone's been whining that Lisa Lopes exhibits "delusions of grandeur" on her debut solo album. Delusions of grandeur? Um, hip-hop's first commandment, brought down from the mountain on a tablet of solid platinum that could choke a rhino, isn't it? Thou shalt compulsively big up thy sweet self. And why not? 'Supernova' couldn't look more different from the sleek cyber-sexiness of TLC's 'Fanmail', painted as it is in the sort of day-glo green and pink that Playdoh used to come in. Looking at this and listening to the barmy chopstick childishness of the single 'Block Party' (actually not as annoying as you think), you'd be forgiven for not expecting much of the rest of the album. Fortunately it holds its own extremely well. There's no 'No Scrubs', but no 'No Pigeons' either. Her voice and rhymes are distinctive enough to carry it and she picks her guests well. It's got a certain ruthlessness about it. The tunes range from the solid slam of 'Hot' to a surprising amount of sleek, moody things towards the end like the wicked 'Untouchable' - even 'A New Star Is Born' manages to not be slushy. 'The Universal Quest' has a sly guitar sample that's pure DJ Shadow and a guest singer (Esthero) who sounds not unlike Sade. Blimey. 'Supernova' is relatively lightweight, but in the same sense that you don't want your cake too stodgy. For all the rampant self-mythologising, Left Eye is quiet in proving that she's got her own ideas. Grand! Sarah Bee Reviewed on 11/8/01 DotMusic Review... Rating: none What is she like? The adult life of Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes has been a mixture of pop genius, curious decisions and occasional acts of sheer lunacy that make her remarkable even by the current exalted standards of hip-hop and R&B. As one-third of the peerless TLC, she's made some of the greatest singles of the past ten years. Up until now, however, her career away from the group has been less distinguished: a terrible duet with Mel C; a series of frankly alarming costume changes as host of last year's MOBO awards; rehab; and, most notoriously, the night she burned down the house of her then boyfriend, American footballer Andre Rison, in Atlanta. At its best, Left Eye's solo debut captures a little of that madness. You'll already know the impressive first single, 'Block Party', whose combination of old school props and pre-school effects make it the best skipping game song since 'Buffalo Gals'. Nothing else is quite that odd, though the narcoleptic g-funker 'Jenny' details a day in the life of Lisa that involves Cheerios, hanging out with girls "with them hairdos that look like they went through a seizure", and a hell of a lot of driving. Oh, and a poxy guitar solo to spoil things at the end. It's a rare lapse in judgment, musically at least. 'Supernova' focuses on Left Eye's considerable rapping skills rather than on kittenish R&B. In common with Mary J Blige's excellent 'No More Drama', parts of it come across as a rather funky self-help manual, which grates by the end. Before that, though, 'I Believe In Me' tackles her low self-esteem by reciting TLC's sales figures and the great line, "I'm Diana Ross and not a Supreme", which'll provoke some interesting discussions when her band reconvene in the studio. For those of us who find the airbrushed niceness of Beyonce Knowles increasingly irritating, it's great to have Left Eye back. Fan Reviews... Name: Nessa Location: Ames, Iowa Email: [email protected] Rating: **** (out of five) Review: The lyrics are crazy good but i wish she would've done more songs like Secret Enemy or sumthin - i don't know. |
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