Kelis - Food
- Written by Rob Crozier
"Hiya guys are you hungry...my mum made some food" ...asks Knight, Kelis’ four-year-old son, at the start of Food. Kelis' soulful voice continues with the opening track entitled ‘Breakfast’.
This new album, her sixth in total, seems to be a more mature offering. It is a world away from the boy-meets-girl RnB pop hits of previous endeavours. Gone are the pop sounds of ‘Milkshake’ from 2003 offering Tasty. In its place is a more subtle soulful sound that feels natural and relaxed. This is in some way due to the attentions of producer Dave Sitek who has also produced Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foals and Liars.
Kelis' subject matter is displayed via the kitchen, yet the content is the exploration of love, pain, happiness and everything in between. ‘Floyd’ is an example of this; Kelis cries for a man who will blow her away, and shows that it is not easy for a single mum whose ex-husband is gangster rapper Nas. She seems done with all the ‘players’ in her life and wants a relationship based on honesty and trust – someone willing to understand her past and not just view it as a chance to add another notch on their bedpost.
The whole album is a mature reflection of life's journey expressed with punchy horns, laid back soulful grooves all collected with a new focus via the British independent dance label Ninja Tunes.
As indicated by the title, and indeed the tracks ‘Jerk Ribs’, ‘Friday Fish Fry’, ‘Biscuits N’ Gravy’ and ‘Cobbler’, food has quite a large role to play in Kelis’ life. ‘Friday Fish Fry’ and ‘Cobbler’ in particular are perfectly balanced soul funk offerings, as they serve up huge slices of raw emotion over dollops of retro baselines, like some classic '70s cheese fondue. She is well qualified to talk in such terms, as she is now after all a fully qualified chef.
‘Bless the Telephone’ is a short yet wonderfully cover version of a beautiful love song originally by Labi Siffre. Its simple message feels like those phone calls we all get that as Kelis explains: ”It's nice to hear you say hello, strange how a phone call can change your day,take you away from the feeling of being alone. Bless the telephone”.
This is a superbly crafted album as it drifts from straight out soulful ballads to retro funk. Further highlights come from the track ‘Hooch’ which shows how much Kelis' voice has matured, not just in her sound but also the content that emanates from it. It’s a clearly retro fueled soul number which is obviously influenced by '60s soul via Memphis or Detroit.
She will be cooking up a feast this year on the festival scene as she plays Brighton, Glastonbury and Latitude to name a few. If you like your music served hot, sexy and deep then Food could be the perfect summer sizzler. We are already on our second helping.