Lady Sovereign - Jigsaw Review

Posted by Jesse Coy on 04.07.2009

The “biggest midget in the game” returns with her second album, Jesse Coy on the game board to piece together Jigsaw.

Lady Sovereign
Jigsaw
April 2009
Midget, EMI Records



Jigsaw
. "Let's Be Mates" – 3:20
. "So Human" (based on an interpolation of "Close to Me" by The Cure) – 3:55
. "Jigsaw" – 3:33
. "Bang Bang" – 3:22
. "I Got You Dancing" – 3:31
. "Pennies" – 3:05
. "Guitar" – 3:33
. "Student Union" – 3:06
. "Food Play" – 5:14
. "I Got the Goods" – 3:01

I’m not exactly sure how I stumbled upon Lady Sovereign right when that debut album came out back in ‘06 (Public Warning). But somehow I did. Just to prove that downloading does work and helps the music business, and I’m not talking the corporate sponsored sort... I’d also thought I’d one day pick up the actual debut. The first track I snagged by accident was "Love Me or Hate Me." Based off that, I looked for a few more tracks, maybe grabbing five total from her debut.

I listened to them for a little bit, registered my interest, and then deleted them, as is the case with the few songs I download through non-sanctified means (just as you’d do if you listened to the radio). Fast forward to 2009, when Lady Sovereign’s second album, Jigsaw, premieres. If I hadn’t been exposed to and became slightly interested in the first release, I would’ve had no interest in reviewing the follow-up, nor would I have gone ahead and purchased the debut (used, I’m afraid, but that’s legal to do).

So there...

Now, I’ve seen Lady Sovereign compared to Eminem. Why, I ask? It’s repeated over and over. Why? She’s white? I don’t hear her singing much about abusing guys. She doesn’t sound to me like Eminem (who I don’t particularly like) at all. If you want to get a bit more accurate, she does resonate with a strong British tradition of rude girls, as in the Bodysnatchers, or also maybe the Slits. But Eminem? Uh, might as well say she’s similar to Vanilla Ice because she’s white. But it just ain’t so.

Prelude aside, sometimes what you want isn’t quite what you’ll get. If you’re looking for Lady Sovereign because you liked the hiphop, it’s not like it’s absent here, but it’s rather between the cracks. This album is not hiphop heavy. And while I’m not any sort of reviewer to dissuade exploration, it’s not as though Lady Sovereign’s debut style got stale. Damn, she barely ran too far with it.

Call it a sign of the times, but first Chris Cornell, and then the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and now here with Lady Sovereign we begin via “Let’s Be Mates,” a club dance song. It’s catchy. It grows on you. I guess if I’m gonna do some club track style songs from time to time, go with what you know. Some early flak was received for the track, “So Human,” as it lifted so much of the Cure’s “Close to Me,” you may as well call it a remake with different words and a dance beat. Personally, never being a Cure fan, and having an ex-wife who loved them… first, I recognized this sucker, and secondly, I liked the reinterpretation much better than the original.

But I don’t like the Cure.

From there, we have a mixed bag. The purer hiphop tracks are rather the weaker tracks on this one. For example, there’s “Bang Bang,” “Pennies,” and “Food Play.” They’re not so memorable. Okay, I’ll grant, “Food Play” does stand out, but it’s rather… cheesy. I think the biggest midget was watching too much 9 1/2 Weeks. It’s just too goofy for me.

There are some goodies to be had, though. The title track, “Jigsaw,” sounds like a hit single waiting to happen. There’s lots of heart-tugging orchestration and sentiment here. “Student Union” is a rocking, 80’s synth-fueled throwback. It’s catchy. It sounds great. Tag it for multi-multi plays. “I Got You Dancing” is a techno rap groove that grows on you (too). “Guitar” is a pretty good darker rap, unless you listen too much to the words (oh woe, the terrible life of the music star). And once more, if you know Lady Sovereign and want something similar to her debut, this ain’t it. It lacks focus. That’s not always a bad thing. Take it for what it is, I guess.

The 411: I think if she hangs in there, Lady Sovereign is quite interesting and can produce a classic album, because she has attitude and a unique sound (her voice). This one definitely isn’t it. This one looks for definition. So if you pick it up, you’ll likely be picking some you like, and forgetting some.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]