Mixing southern fried chicken with molecular gastronomy might seem unpalatable, but when 34-year-old New Yorker Kelis does the aural equivalent on her sixth album Food, mixing live horns, organs, and evocative vocals with electronica and futuristic R&B, she seems to have the recipe down. With a helping hand from TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek, she's come up with a blooming swirl of deep hypnotic bass, brazen brass, husky vocal harmonies, and slow-motion cascading keyboard parts that turn out to be a perfect evolution. Fans won't find another Milkshake, but she's just as seductive. Opener Breakfast (which is introduced by her 4-year-old son) might be a tribute to pure familial love, and Forever Be is a joyous seize-the-day type pop cut, but she's not afraid to tell us what she's looking for in a man on sauntering ballad Floyd, and Cobbler takes a little Latin inspiration, and throws in some James Brown to make a track as coquettish as a Mad Men episode. One of the most striking tracks is R&B fame-critique Runnin', all torch song-like with slightly eerie production, and its neighbour Hooch has her sighing all over some beautiful Stax arrangements in another highlight, but the album's three-pointer comes with the southern country swagger of Friday Fish Fry, followed by dark, flamenco-inspired Change, and rounded off with the burlesque-type swing of Rumble. Kelis' new moves are at their best and boldest.
Verdict:
Soul with a twist
