Sarah Cracknell

Kelly's Locker (Instinct)

One would expect more of Sarah Cracknell, lead vocalist for dance-pop band Saint Etienne. Critics have always found it hard to pigeonhole the band (that is, until "electronica" conveniently became a music industry buzzword). Their sonic experiments have consistently yielded intriguing results, drawing from pop's rich past while carrying an attitude which points boldly towards the future. Cracknell's solo LP, Kelly's Locker, isn't particularly bad. However, as an electric pop record, it tries too hard to be eclectic and lacks the cohesion needed to make for a satisfying aural experience.

The first song, "Judy Don't You Worry," starts off with Cracknell's lilting vocals washed over a simple background of a solo piano. It moves on quickly to Euro-sounding dance tracks such as "How Far" and the samba-tinged "Taking Off For France." The album does take a recess from beat-heavy percussion and veers towards further flirtation with retro-lounge electronic tunes, with Cracknell voicing her lyrics breathily in a manner not unlike Dusty Springfield. But the closing track, "Anymore," ends the album with more bleeps and heavy backbeats. While it's the strongest track in the album, it still fails to hold one's attention as anything but a mere pop tune.

Cracknell's voice is admittedly luscious, but suffers from overly forceful studio manipulations. She overdoes her attempt to be an indie-electronic queen, and ends up sounding like just another pretty pop princess. B-