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Perhaps it’s sour grapes; perhaps she’s got a point. When White released her debut album in 2008, critics praised its visceral blend of rock, dub and electronica, and marvelled its brazen uniqueness. Though, as she told Pitchfork in a recent interview, her sound was considered weird at the time, now it’s enjoying mainstream success thanks to the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. Unfortunately for White, her recession from public view stalled her momentum. Given the immediacy of today’s culture, where music is considered old after a few months, you can’t vanish that long without losing some of your audience.
On this long-awaited follow-up, White reconfigures her twitchy brand of Caribbean punk fusion, the results of which are as irregular as ever. Yet something intriguing happens here: just when you think strident synthesizers and glossy excess is about to bombard you, she quickly changes course, opting instead for scant melodies more digestible than previous work. Take God From the Machine, for instance: it begins with harmonic “oohs” and wispy guitar chords, only to be interrupted by a short burst of marching drums. Then, suddenly, the snares dissipate and allow White’s voice to rise above the song’s unique military vibe. While that’s the most extreme example of such artistic defiance, it crystallizes this album’s focus. The mood is undeniably energetic, but the sounds are a bit more ambient than contemporary pop. This Isn’t Our Parade makes good use of handclaps and hollow percussion; then there’s The Keepers, with bubbly, 80s-style synths, which feels playfully rebellious when paired with the vocalist’s innocent inflection.
All told, Master of My Make-Believe is Santigold’s reintroduction. While slightly more subdued than before, the pint-sized sparkplug proves she can still churn a stimulating groove, and doesn’t need cartoonish gimmicks to do so.
--Marcus J. Moore
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
On reading up Santi White it is perhaps little wonder the album sounds as good as it does. For a start it was a surprise to discover that she is in her mid 30s as I was expecting her to be another of these 20 something wannabees trying to capture the zeitgeist. Far from it! She was in a punk band called Stiffed in the early 2000s before going solo and this is her second solo album and her maturity certainly shines through.
Masters of My Make-Believe is a very good pop record with high production values and it may well be my favourite album of the year so far.
rather unkind about it. An old Wolf, however, can eat his hat when
necessary and return to base with an open mind. You see, the thing is,
I have found more than a little to love in her second outing 'Master Of
My Make-Believe'. It's a good album. It's a very good album in fact.
The melodies are more distinctive and well-formed; the beats infectious
and her vocal delivery has improved no-end. The spirit of Grace Jones
seems close at hand in Ms White's monochrome delivery and the integration
of jaunty Caribbean rhythms and inventive electro-pop arrangements.
Take 'This Isn't Our Parade' : the song hangs on a throbbing backbeat,
studded with marimba-like decorations, both supporting a really cracking
tune and curiously affecting chorus. 'Pirate In The Water', too, earns
its stripes with a bouncy reggae ambience and the rumbustious 'The Keepers'
even manages a singalong refrain. Final track 'Big Mouth' is another
highlight, making effective deployment of fractured harmonies and manic
percussion, bringing the project to a nicely off-kilter conclusion.
One senses an artist of worth finally finding her feet. Good for her says I!
Recommended.
The rest of the group are pretty good also.
The remainder of the album is well written & performed excellently.
I really nice the mixture of style that's been augmented here.
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