Kelly’s Locker by Sarah Cracknell (Review)
When I think of diva, images of Sarah Cracknell come to mind, an image that’s mainly due to her role as Saint Etienne’s vocalist. And if you don’t know who Saint Etienne are, stop reading this review right now and get some of their albums as soon as possible. You see, Saint Etienne might be the world’s greatest club band; tracks like “Join Our Club,” “I Was Born On Christmas Day,” and their cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” are shimmering examples of great pop songs dressed up as dance hits. But Ms. Cracknell’s Kelly’s Locker seems to be missing that certain something that Saint Etienne’s albums always seem to have in abundance.
Saint Etienne’s music has always walked a fine line between effervescence and kitsch. And I always found it amazing how real and human Saint Etienne’s most club-oriented tracks sounded. Unlike most club music, which is lacking when it comes to personality and substance, Saint Etienne had a real warmth about their songs. And yes, it was mainly due to Cracknell’s lovely, yet cloying vocals (which could sound sensual, playful, wistful, and innocent all at the same time). But however wispy her voice got, the solid hooks of Saint Etienne’s greatest songs always reeled them back in.
On Kelly’s Locker, she doesn’t have that going for her. It’s not really surprising that the album’s strongest tracks are those that come closest to sounding like Saint Etienne. The faux strings and driving beat of “Taxi” and the subtle drum n’ bass flourishes of “Anymore” help these songs stick out from the rest, but even they aren’t as gorgeous as other songs I’ve heard Cracknell’s vocals attached to. Cracknell’s vocals are uniformly gorgeous throughout the 8 songs, no doubt about that. But she’s just too darn good at what she does, and “Kelly’s Locker“ ‘s quality of music just isn’t able to support all of that beauty.
I’m sure you’ll find some of these songs play in your finer salons and clothing stores. This is music for the jetset, and seems perfectly suited to a documentary about rich, beautiful young couples hitting the latest fashion boutiques in Madrid, Paris, and London. They drive expensive cars, wear gold watches, and drink champagne all day. And when they get up the next morning, they do the same thing all over again. Kelly’s Locker sounds just as interesting, and just as artificial.