Wikked Lil Grrrls

Esthero | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B0007XT87Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,982 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the release of Esthero's heralded 1998 disc Breath from Another, the Toronto singer seemed to have an open road of opportunities ahead of her. Breath soared on people's best-of lists, allowing Esthero the chance to collaborate with everyone from the Black Eyed Peas and Mos Def to Sugar Ray. Her future seemed filled with long-term opportunity and promise. Strangely, however, after that bright burst, the singer all but disappeared. Aside from the occasional guest performance, it was seven years of curious silence. For being such a talented singer-songwriter--one deeply influenced by Nina Simone, Saul Williams, and Burt Bacharach--her jazzy, sultry, hip-hop grooves were timely, yet strangely absent. Finally, with Wikked Lil' Girls and its first single, "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution," the silence wasn't just broken, it was blown wide open. An acerbic, beat-driven track, the song unapologetically attacks the current state of pop music ("I'm so sick and tired of the s#@! on the radio") rightfully and righteously. The disc then shifts from uptempto timeless pop ("Every Day Is a Holiday," featuring Sean Lennon) to sexy downtempo ("Beautiful Lie") and then to a later section of slow songs and smooth jazz--a fluid rollercoaster of sound. The final song, "Dragonfly's Outro," is a gorgeous, float-on-clouds track with horns sampled from '80s soundtrack legend Bill Conti. Mixing up vocal styles, interesting samples, and great contemporary beats, it shows how great Esthero can be at her best--an amalgamation of many influences and her own talented, wikked ways. --Denise Sheppard

Product Description

Esthero's fourth album, this is a sexy, sophisticated blend of hip-hop, jazz, dance, rock and soul. Featuring vocal duets with Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob, Sean Lennon, Andre 3000 and others as well as help from a crew of producers including Dr. Dre cohort Camara Kambon (Eminem, Mary J. Blige). Warner Bros. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wikked!, July 2, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wikked Lil Grrrls (Audio CD)

Esthero is sure to win the hearts of disgruntled music fans everywhere, in the opening moments of her second album, "Wikked Lil' Grrrls." It opens with the announcement, "I'm so sick and tired/of the shit on the radio/on MTV they only play same thing/no matter where I go, I see Ashanti in the video/I want something MORE!" Well, who doesn't?

It takes a certain amount of guts and flair to successfully harpoon the flaws of the music industry, or to demand to know why "a grown-ass man can videotape a little girl/but we still see his mug up on our video screens." Alas, the rest of the album isn't quite as riveting or as bold. But the Toronto singer's jazzy-funky-trippy-retropoppy sound is colorful enough to keep listeners stuck there.

The songs after that tend to focus on sexy love, or on the loneliness of being betrayed romantically. That in itself isn't too exceptional -- what is exceptional is the sparkling trip-hop melodies, the catchy complexity, and the inclusion of piano, guitar, lots of horns and earthy, funky beats. They spice up what could have been a terribly ordinary pop album.

To grit things down, there's also some colorful rapping from Shakari Nite, Jemeni And Jeleestone, and some exceptional work in the swooning, funky "Junglebook" by Outkast's Andre 3000. The only one that doesn't work is a collaboration with Cee-lo Green, who sounds horribly out of place in a trippy ballad.

The songwriting is pretty good but not exceptional, though Esthero falls through in the occasional sour line like "would you let me lick you with alliteration and tie you up with similes?" Her husky voice makes up some of that lost ground, usually sticking to the jazz vocals, but sometimes shifting over to a sultry trip-pop style.

Esthero's "Wikked Lil' Grrrls" may not be the stuff of which musical revolutions are made, but it's a little rebellion all on its own. And a pretty funky, danceable one as well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worthwhile!, January 13, 2006

By 

the bandwagon (northern New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wikked Lil Grrrls (Audio CD)

I absolutely love her voice, and hearing it I realize what a long wait it has been for this CD. The more I listen, the more I recognize its complexity. There is a lot to like, bits of jazz, lounge, rock, hip hop, and they all flow together nicely. I find myself reaching for it often. I admit I could live without the spoken word sections (never holds for repeated listening) but is not really intrusive. Hopefully we won't have to wait so long to hear from Esthero again! Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete, Awesome Album, July 9, 2005

By 

Dorrie Wheeler - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wikked Lil Grrrls (Audio CD)

I must admit, when I was approached to review Esthero's album on my website I didn't know just how damn dope she was. Wikked Lil' Grrrls is the most awesome, complete album I have heard in YEARS. I will cherish it forever. Now if you read the reviews for the album a lot of people are saying things like, "If you like Nelly Furtado," or "This is the sophomore album that Nelly Furtado should have made," people need to realize that Esthero was out BEFORE Nelly Furtado. Esthero's debut album Breath from Another was released in 1998. They do have a similar style and sound but they are different artists. My favorite song on the album is "Fastlane." I also like "Everyday Is A Holiday" (with you). Sean Lennon is featured on this song. I can't say enough great things about this album. What can I say? Every song is great and I can't think of any flowery metaphors to describe each song. You must add this album to your collection. I was a bit curious as to why she decided to name check Ashanti on "We R n Need of a Musical Revolution." Oh well, I guess someone had to be called out. It's really a good album and you have to read her liner notes, they are hilarious.