This decade has certainly served up what can only be described as musical drudge. With the emergence of the ‘reality pop star’, effectively reducing the charts to a weekly contest between glorified karaoke acts, you would be forgiven for thinking this decade has been a particularly bad one for producing original music. There has been light at the end of the tunnel however, with the emergence of a new crop of female artists producing some of the most innovative albums of this decade. This may seem like a strange observation as women have been making music since music was invented. What is different about this decade is that a wide range of female artists have been able to combine commercial success with critical acclaim – a goal many of their predecessors have not been able to attain.
It therefore, seems apt to mention just a few of the musical highlights this decade has produced from some of the very best female artists.
Fur and Gold – Bat for Lashes (2006)
Natasha Khan (a.k.a Bat for Lashes) has produced in ‘Fur and Gold’, a debut LP that combines haunting melodies with an utterly feminine vocal sound. A nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2007 enabled Khan’s music to reach a wider audience and introduced them to her magical sound.
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea- P.J Harvey (2000)
This is the 6th studio album from the Dorset singer/song writer and one which allowed her to cross over from a lesser known indie act to a critically acclaimed rock star. This album won the Mercury Music Prize in 2001 and influenced a new generation of female singer/song writers that deviated from the usual pop/rock staple that dominated the charts in the 1990’s.
Fever To Tell – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yeahs (2003)
Fronted by the inimitable Karen O, Fever To Tell is a messy combination of punk, garage rock, and pop. However messy and chaotic it may sound, all 11 tracks on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ debut album seem to fit together as a collection of thoroughly exceptional songs.
Deb – Souad Massi (2003)
Although Middle Eastern in origin, ‘Deb’ (meaning ‘heartbroken’ in Arabic) incorporates western styles such as rock, country, and pop. Massi sings in Arabic, French, and occasionally English as well as ‘Kabyle’ (a Berber language), often employing multiple languages in the same song. You do not need to be fluent in any of these languages to appreciate Massi’s beautiful voice and genre defying sound.
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2006)
‘Back to Black’ combines the sound of Motown girl groups with Winehouse’s distinctive vocals (with a little help from super star DJ Mark Ronson). This Grammy award winning album contains brazen confessions of heartbreak, infidelity and Winehouse’s continued battle with drink and drugs. Forget the manufactured pop of reality TV shows. Back To Black is what pop music should sound like.
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