By Laura Friesen
With the release of her fourth full-length, Art Angels, everyone’s favourite urban faerie has catapulted herself into the public pop stratosphere. And when I say catapulted herself, it’s in the truest sense of the phrase – the Vancouver native has built her career on her own terms, uncompromisingly hacking out a sonic and cultural space that celebrates the weird, the feminine, the surreal, the twisted.
No longer a niche or under-the-radar phenomenon, electro-priestess Grimes now reigns with a sound that’s equally all her own distinct creation and that appeals to the pop-consuming masses. Okay, maybe the masses aren’t all listening to her, but I dare any anyone to give “California” or “Flesh without Blood” a go without being charmed by her sparkling production and melodic sensibility.
Those who like their Grimes on the more abrasive, experimental side have “Kill V. Maim,” a brash and kinda bratty electro tune with beats like a sugar-fuelled video game, or “Scream,” a showcase for Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, whose voice flows, catches, halts, breathes, and yes, screams. It’s unintelligible to me, language-wise, but the harshness of the song is tempered by a conversational quality that feels immediate and intimate. Sadly, bonus track “REALiTi” isn’t included on the vinyl or cassette versions of the album. A standout of the digital/CD editions, the song is an older demo that was originally slated to be included on a previous album that was eventually scrapped. It has a captivating trance that’s immediately addicting, with the bonus of being comparatively chill and soothing among the other tracks.
If listening to Art Angels doesn’t want to make you dump a bucket of glitter over yourself and eat cotton candy for every meal until you become sick with sweetness, then Grimes might not be for you. For the rest of us though, the album is a soaring accomplishment and perfect music for those who like their light and sweet tempered with dark and a little creepy. (4AD, grimesmusic.com) Laura Friesen
Recommended if you like Now Sounds, Fridays from 3:30-5 p.m. on CKUW 95.9 FM.