When worlds collide, and cultures butt up against each other, theresult is not always confused or destructive. Natacha Atlas lives up toher name, born in Brussels of Egyptian and Moroccan decent, she spenther formative years skipping through Europe, the Middle East, and theUnited States, a journey that clearly left its mark on her life andmusic.
Something Dangerousis a gently schizophrenic album, mixing the influences of UK dance,hip-hop, R&B, traditional Arabic, and Hindi pop to create afascinating amalgam. Atlas enlists a number of guest vocalists to duetwith who bring even more color to the music. "Janamaan" features Atlasin a Bollywood-style trading with a male vocalist against a glitchytechno backbeat. Her voice is powerful, full of depth and body thatenraptures as it climbs and descends her words, whether in her lyricalArabic or English. "Eye of the Duck" is a funky, reggae number withNatacha's sampled cooing and Arabic interplay flanking the distinctiveJamaican delivery and flow. "It's when we touch (ooh) / It's when wekiss (ooh)." Sure, it's not too complex, but that's the beauty. It's aperfect club track, simple, sexy, and superb. "Simple Heart" findsNatacha in a duet with Sinead O'Connor, whose contribution is nothingspecial. The track would have worked fine as a solo piece, as Atlas'vocals are attention-demanding while O'Connor's role in the song isrelegated to the background. "Who's My Baby" achieves an almost totalelectronic soundscape that sounds akin to Kylie Minogue, with a snakybass line that pulses around Niara Scarlett's English sung vocals. Onher last solo album,
Ayeshteni, Atlas covered Screamin' JayHawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," and here she continues her homage toAmerican rhythm and blues with a slick cover of James Brown's "It's aMan's Man's Man's World." It's all her, on her own, delicately swayingthrough the English lyrics with ease, occasionally slipping into a lineof Arabic complete with vibrato and melisma that's as smooth as silk.
Something Dangerousis a kaleidoscopic cross-cultural trip that brings the beauty of Atlas'traditional Arabic loves with the fresh sounds of the West in acreative and harmonious way. -
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