Review by LarryG
3½ stars out of 4
When On How Life Is, Macy Gray's excellent debut CD, came out
most of the talk was about her voice: does she sound like Billie
Holiday or is she just annoyingly eccentric? No matter what you think
about her voice, an important thing to know about On How Life Is is
that it's a record filled with great, easy grooves. Gray's colorful
and sometimes wacky persona keeps things interesting but it's the
music that makes On How Life Is a classic record. Gray is one of many
recent artists like Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo who know and respect
great 70's soul but are able to give their music their own distinctive
90's feel.
The good groove starts right from the start with Why Didn't You
Call Me. The song has a good unhurried feel with a nice, steady beat
and relaxed bass, a light sprinkling of keyboards and good backup
vocals smoothing out Gray's rough vocal edges. Gray's lyrics are about
a needy woman waiting by the phone and desperately calling to see if a
boyfriend is home and hanging up when he answers. As with many of On
How Life Is' songs, Gray's confident, quirky singing belies the
insecure lyrics. Similarly, I Try is about a woman who knows that
things aren't going to work out with a guy but still obsesses about
him and can't walk away. Again, the music communicates a confidence
that transcends the lyrics. Like on most of the CD's songs, the music
on I Try shows the confidence of Gray and producer Andrew Slater not
to do overdo things. The song has a lot of nice touches like chimes, a
orchestral like swirl which opens the song and a building climax at
the end but the appeal of the music mainly comes from the relaxed mood
from a piano and a good rhythm section. It's interesting that while On
How Life Is perfectly captures the feel of classic soul, many of the
musicians are white studio pros like Jon Brion, who worked on quite
different but also well made records by Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann. In
the first few months after On How Life Is' release, the CD's sales
weren't as impressive as its reviews and there was some talk that it
was too good for a mass audience. Since then I Try became a number one
pop hit and it's become clear that the record's great music is
undeniable. On How Life Is is deep with classic sounding songs. Still
is a sad, moving story of a woman who knows she "should be gone" but
stays with an abusive man who still has her in his spell. Gray's
vocals show empathy for the woman's plight. Strings and restrained
backing vocals create a mournful mood. The song sounds a little like
the 70's hit Drift Away and has the timeless feel of a sad Aretha
ballad. Do Something is another song with a good, easy beat and
atmospheric keyboards and vibes. The song has a positive message,
urging people to quit wasting their lives getting high.
The fact that most of the songs are smooth and cool makes it
easier to deal with the On How Life Is' few goofy songs. Sex-O-Matic
Venus Freak is another song about what a great guy her man is, making
her "feel like a XX rated star" but Gray has a good time celebrating
her sexual ecstasy. Gray imbues I Can't Wait To Meetchu, about looking
forward to going to heaven, with her loopy optimism. Both songs have
smooth, flavorful grooves. The Letter goes a step farther, with Gray
deciding that Earth isn't the place for her so she's going "beyond the
moon." On How Life Is' weirdest song is I've Committed Murder. Gray
feels no guilt about killing her boyfriend's abusive boss and stealing
her money. The song ends with a piece of the theme from Love Story,
apparently emphasizing that her actions are justified in the name of
love. No matter how strange things get, even if you find Gray's
hoarse, raspy voice annoying(I don't), the smooth music of On How Life
Is makes it a great listening experience.
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