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 - lovee this cdi love her style, so original, its like reggae, rock, pop combined plus more i'm always listening to her cd when i go to work Rating: - Great Debut, no skipping tracks hereAlbum is very good throughout, pop synth with a reggae feel on some tracks. Most reviewers have said her voice reminds them of Gwen Stefani, it took a few listen before it came to me, it really sounds more like Dale Bozzio, the lead singer of Missing Persons (if some of you can remember that far back or have caught them on Remember the 80's. Definitely an album to purchase. PS Santogold was name of really bad gold plated jewelry you could buy on late nite tv. Rating: - Excellent Electronic Beats and Hooky Vocals if Slightly OverproducedA lot of artists are content to stay within their genre. And those that do mix genres tend to... well... suck. Santogold strikes a really nice balance, keeping it interesting but also staying on point. Her voice has an almost Gwen Stefani feel to it. Perhaps its the Reggae feel mixed in with pop sounds that reminds me. Some of the tracks also remind me of M.I.A. a bit as well, with beats and programming. I have to say though that even though I am a lover of electronic music, I particularly enjoyed her forays into an almost rock pop sound that still utilized those reggae type bass lines. My only criticism of this album is that it felt slightly overproduced. It distances you from her a bit and it seems like some of her potential is hidden behind the shiny exterior. Rating: - Speaks to My SoulI just find this cd unbelievable! I mean, the music, her voice, the words, I just love it. There are so few cds in my collection that I can listen to all the way through, but this is definitely one of them. One of the best cd's that I have heard in a long long time. One of my favorite pastimes is songwriting and so I notice when I feel that a beat or note is missed and I could not find it in this cd. She is so connected with the music and brings so much...Wow! I love how she has the ability to change her voice according to the song. I love how she refuses to be put into a certain genre of music just because. Santogold is just that...GOLD and I am definitely a fan. If she ever comes to St. Louis or anywhere close, I will be at the show without a doubt. I know it sounds like I am gushing, but I am just so impressed with this cd. Keep up the good work Santogold! Love ya! Rating:  - Santogold - Some Great Singles, and One of the Best Debut Albums of 2008Santogold is truly one of the best new alternative albums of 2008. In fact it's probably one of the best new albums in any genre. It's hard to produce an album of original music, and when a new artist has a debut this strong people should definitely take notice. True, there is nothing that ventures into new territory per se. But in terms of execution, the production, music and vocals add up to a very enjoyable listen. For those that like female rock vocalists, the lead sounds a lot like the lead from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs except pushed through more synth. Yes it's true, there is an attempt to mix a blend of musical styles. But I kind of feel like that aspect is over-emphasized from a marketing point of view. The end product here is mostly very good on its own. I also feel like the whole "she's not just R&B" thing is marketing fluff too. Who listens to this album and hears a pure R&B record??? True, there's a lot of silly groups people get put into in the music business, but that whole stance is both an insult to R&B as well as a distasteful statement on stereotypes. I love R&B as well as many other styles, but if you had your eyes covered and heard her perform you would hear alternative blended with other things but not R&B. You read between the lines on this one. It's also true that this shares some similarities with certain 80s groups and styles, and the new-wave influence is undeniable. While some of the references are accurate, others seem not to be. I don't think it matters. Everybody will hear different influences because music is often influenced by the past. What matters more to me is that this is a great album that is a great start for Santi White. I want to hear more! The album starts off very strong, and the first four tracks are potential singles. That is until it hits one of the album's low points in track 4, "Say Aha," which sounds like a cross between the Go-Gos and that overplayed Ketchup Song (Asereje) by Las Ketchup. Definitely poppy, catchy and with a potential audience, but not a track that would have slipped past me on the way through the cutting room. Tracks 5 and 6 are both mood tracks, good but not great. But "Lights Out" gets the album going again, a great track and one of my favorites. The rest of the album is very strong with a few exceptions. I could have done without the delivery of "Im a Lady," even though it's an ok song. And the final track with the second version of "You'll Find A Way" should also have been cut before the final release. It didn't add much relative to the first album cut. That's just my opinion. Overall, I guess I like this album because it blends into all the eclectic music I listen to. It's a very good first album and if Santi can continue to expand upon this I expect great albums from her in the future. I am not always lucky when I buy records "blind" but I struck gold here. The entire team behind this record deserves credit for a top notch product. It's not perfect but it has to go down as one of the strongest debut albums I've heard so far this year. Check it out.
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