A Little Deeper

She didn't get much respect as a member of the chart-running, violence-generating So Solid Crew, but that all changed when Ms. Dynamite released her solo debut, A Little Deeper. And with nary a 2-step beat in sight, it would appear Ms. Dynamite has made a clean break from her garage past to embrace a form of British ragga/R&B that makes her one of the few evoking references to Roots Manuva and Lauryn Hill. She has as much personality and strength of delivery as either of them (high praise, that), and carries the album as much as the tight production. Another name to think of is Craig David; like the only 2-step figure to make any impression on American R&B fans, A Little Deeper has a few concessions to commercial radio (i.e., the musically unadventurous). The Santana guitar lines on "Put Him Out" and the single "It Takes More" would fit perfectly on radio. Sure, the album's a bit more edgy than any of her American contemporaries ("Krazy Krush" is a great head-twisting track), but it's still not too far from Hill and other neo-soul figures. That may make her more palatable to a worldwide audience, but it also makes for a more diluted sound that doesn't impress quite like it could have. ~ John Bush

歳下なのに〈姐さん〉と呼びたくなるような風格に溢れていた“Booo!”一発で本国UKでは時代の寵児となり、サンシップやエド・ケイスとの共演も果たしてきたミス・ダイナマイト。彼女は2ステップ／UKガラージ文脈のMCなのだが、この初ソロ・アルバムは、かねてからの噂どおりUS産ヒップホップ～R&B色の濃い仕上がりで、どことなく理知的な佇まいにローリン・ヒルを思い出してもいい。サラーム・レミのバックアップや、マーリー一家からキマーニが参加していることも、その印象に拍車をかけるはず。が、気怠い艶をともなったこの心地良い無国籍ヴァイブスは姐さんの声にしか存在しない。サラームやパンチらクセのある制作陣と組んだのも正解だ。アーシーでミスティカルな歌モノから、エモーショナルなギターと重厚なコーラスをブチ抜いて歌を突き刺す“Put Him Out”まで、なんてヴァーサタイルな声!　絶対的に凄まじいソウル!
bounce (C)出嶌孝次