Body Talk Pt. 2

Robyn
Body Talk Pt. 2
Rating: Grrrr

This spring, Robyn came out with the first part of her Body Talk series of cds and I was, to be frank, less than impressed. It seemed too short and too choppy, with no real rhyme or reason to theme or pacing. Based on what I'd heard I wasn't too optimistic for the second installment. Fortunately, she must have listened to my agonised cries and made good choices for this release and has restored my faith in her.

This go around, the songs are tighter and the beats are heavier. And Robyn still remains the one artist that can sell the emotion in a song. She takes the acoustic song "Hang With Me" off Pt. 1, and re imagines it in the style of "With Every Heartbeat," and once again creates a stunning electro ballad:



Robyn rarely stumbles here. From amazing dance floor stompers like "Criminal Intent" and "In My Eyes," down to her rap-like excursion "U Should Know Better (featuring Snoop Dogg)," she keeps things moving for the most part, rarely stopping to see if the listener is keeping up. The only songs that could have been omitted are the "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do" retread "We Dance To The Beat;" and the only acoustic ballad on the album, "Indestructible" which is a strong song but seems very out of place among all the electronic beats.

Although I am much happier with this album than her last, I am still not convinced that she needed to put together three installments. Based on the strengths of the two parts, she easily could have edited out the filler and come up with a classic dance record. I'm still holding out hope that with the third installment maybe it will make the missteps seem less glaring. Until then, we can at least listen to this fun, end of summer record.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.