Album Review: Kesha – Cannibal

Rating – ****
Columbia Records (UK release date: 1 February 2011)

Watch out: Ke$ha’s back, and don’t we all know it. Taking a leaf out of Lady Gaga’s book, she’s releasing a companion EP to debut album Animal, entitled Cannibal.  Already out in the US, it’s set for release in the UK next month.

The opening title track sets the scene for the entire album with simple, heavy beats and lashings of auto-tune, but this is far from a continuation of Animal. Comparing herself to notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer,  Ke$ha sing-talks her way though a mix of fun and downright creepy lyrics relating to her apparent love of eating boys for ‘breakfast and lunch’. Accompanied by a trademark catchy chorus littered with hooks, it has all the makings of a club smash.

Perhaps the best link between Animal and Cannibal is lead single ‘We R Who We R’, which abandons the dark tone set by the opening track and instead opts for a simpler, faster pace. The song’s ever-so-catchy hook carries an inspirational message: be who you want to be and ignore everyone else. It’s a refreshing take on the recent spate of anti-bullying ballads.

‘Sleazy’ returns to the dark, dirty world introduced in ‘Cannibal’. Featuring a more stuttered rap style set over hypnotic jungle beats and a deep male voice, it’s a big departure from Ke$ha’s original material. In it, she explains how money hasn’t changed her and that she much prefers cheap fun over expensive alternatives.

‘Blow’, rumoured to be the second single from the EP, is a club-inspired orgy of synthesised hooks and heavy beats. Ke$ha commands the listener to ‘Go insane; throw some glitter, make it rain’ and it’s hard not to obey her commanding vocals. While the track lacks musical substance or variety, it works perfectly as a party anthem.

‘The Harold Song’ takes a  break from the chaos, and shows off the vulnerable side of the often overpowering singer. Reminiscent of ‘Hungover’ from her debut album, Ke$ha reminds us that even without the electronic back up she is still an extremely able singer. As the most emotional track on the EP it even managed to bring a tear to my eye, no small feat.

‘Crazy Beautiful Life’, with its upbeat lyrics and chorus melody, also provides a link between Cannibal and the debut album. Offering up very little sung musical material, its electronic 8-bit accompaniment draws attention well. It’s no party starter, but it’s certainly a feel good song.

‘Grow A Pear’ is the most absurd track on the EP, in which she offers up the disgusted line ‘You should know that I love you a lot, but I just can’t date a dude with a vag’ over another electronic  8-bit concoction. In truth, it’s hard to concentrate on the simple monotone chorus while still trying to understand how ‘vag’ and ‘mangina’ have somehow made their way into the lyrics. It’s well worth a listen, for comedy value if nothing else.

‘C U Next Tuesday’ (get it?), the second-to-last track on the EP, again highlights Ke$ha’s voice without the excessive use of technology and also shows off her clever use of lyrics to avoid censorship, reminiscent of Britney’s ‘If You Seek Amy’. The EP is drawn to a close with a new remix of the title track from her debut album Animal.

Overall, Cannibal is a solid effort from Ke$ha, but it’s doubtful that it’ll win her a myriad of new fans; it’s more the case that lovers of Animal will probably fall in love with it’s darker, sexier sister Cannibal as well. If anything, it proves that Ke$ha won’t be going away any time soon.

You can pre-order Cannibal via Kesha’s website.