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“My hunger times my impatience makes me feel reckless,” said self -esteem, alias Rebecca Lucy Taylor, sang on her revolutionary album, 2021 Prioritize. Hunger and impatience were fed by a frustrating stay in the Indie-Folk Slow Club duo, which trained in Sheffield in 2006, the year Taylor was 20 years old. After having broken out in 2017, she relaunched himself as self -esteem with daring and tireless sound. “Keep lyrics uncomfortable” is one of his slogans.
A complicated woman is his third solo album. He was launched with a stage show in a West end theater earlier this month, watched by a Madonna Admiration. The recording budget has become more important, allowing access to orchestral players and supporting the singers that it could not afford before. His artistic opportunities have also developed. In 2023, she diversified into a musical theater, playing the role of Sally Bowles in the production of London of Cabaret. Later this year, she should publish a book on female identity.
The exasperation of being retained, mainly by men, both professionally and personally, hides behind his rebirth as self -esteem. “I deserve to be here,” she said on the main single of the album, “Focus is Power”. Such statements sometimes go to self-assistance platitudes, because when it is joined by a female choir to sing, “everything that suits you”, on the too cooked anthem “otherwise, it's soon”. But it can also be a sharp end, with an eye with spirits for weaknesses – its own and the others.
She is joined as a co-series and producer by her usual collaborator Johan Hugo (from The Best group). “I do it and I don't care” is a disappointing opener, with a spoke of disillusionment and to continue while string players saw their violins in a levy way. “Mother” is better, an elegant electropop kiss with emotionally immature romantic partners. “The Murse” makes the end of orchestral resources with arm verses and verses on the romantic relationship of Taylor with alcohol.
The tone moves from house music with a coldly comical control list of sexual positions (“69”) to a gospel singing on healing (“what now”). The guests include the South African singer Moonchild Sanelly, the United Kingdom Indie-Rocker Nadine Shah and the former Rue du Coronation Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh. The scope of the album is ambitious and the performances are strong, but it does not have the sharpness of its predecessors.
★★★ ☆☆
“ A complicated woman '' is published by Polydor
