Nominated by: GK
Music club: Wander to Wozza's
This was Macy Gray's debut album and it was a big deal back in 1999. It's pretty remarkable that it was her first effort - she's one of those artists that seems fully formed right from the start. Maybe she'd been performing for years without recording anything - not sure.
Obviously, her distinctive vocal style is her biggest asset, but the jazz infused style is not one I generally gravitate towards. Billie Holiday style vocals are usually a turn off for me, but Macy adds some nice rough textures in a more R'n'B/soul style that I quite like.
One of the main appeals of On How Life Is lies in the nineties post hip-hop R'n'B production ticks. Boyz II Men and PM Dawn utilised this approach with a lot of success and their sound hooked me in during the nineties. That's the reason I've opted for Caligula - it's a loopy song but for some reason it's the one I kept going back to for repeat listens.
The big hit from the album was I Try, but it's overfamiliarity meant I tended to skip it. The one song I'm not that keen on is the Prince like Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak. It's a jarring presence on an otherwise cohesive album. The sexed up Prince role doesn't seem to work for her (as it doesn't work for Prince on many of his songs).
Aside from all that, I actually enjoyed listening to the album as a whole. I never bought a copy (as I've said - the female jazz vocal genre has never been my jam), but I'm glad I have had the introduction 25 years later. Chur GK.
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