The Id

Symptoms of a Bloated Ego
by: peter naldrett - uk correspondenr

More than most artists, Macy Gray manages to divide the sexes. Or at least that's my opinion on the matter. It just seems that, as a general rule of thumb, she's loved by women much more than men. I'm sure there are exceptions to this over-generalization, but there's a definite trend in her fan base on a much larger scale than many other female artists - many of whom, remember, are dependant on their male fans. Female readers, then, should take this review with a pinch of salt!

Macy Gray's unique, gravelly, irritating voice first came to light in 1999 with her debut album, On How Life Is, a great title and an album that sold 7 million copies, bringing several hit singles to the airwaves. The phenomenal rise of Gray from obscurity to headlining major festivals, is now complete and she is expected to keep the momentum going with her new album The Id. As the title suggests, this is a reference to Freud's theory of pleasure but it's a reference completely lost on me, as I gained absolutely no pleasure from it at all.

As a hotly anticipated follow-up CD, this is a great disappointment, dreary sounding except for "Relating To A Psychopath," "Sexual Revolution" and parts of "Oblivion." The truth is that much of this laid back, soul based exploration of Gray's talent surely does not do her justice or live up to the expectation.

"Give Me All Your Lovin' Or I Will Kill You," "Don't Come Around" and "Freak Like Me" are bitter, uninteresting affairs that ensure this album falls well short of her debut, while "My Nutmeg Phantasy" is as big a vacuum of passion, authenticity and inspiration for some time.

Undoubtedly talented, Gray sounded better the first time around and The Id can't even match the brief encounter she enjoyed with Fatboy Slim. The train to superstardom will slow down for Macy Gray with this release and will have to stop at places like Reflection and Energy before it gathers speed again. 01-Oct-2001 11:45 AM