An uncompromised vision of the self, resulting in this stunning experimental electro pop work. Empress Of, aka songwriter Lorely Rodriguez, delivers an introspective dream of an album debut.
Emerging onto the musical scene in 2012 with her one-minute long ‘Colorminutes’ series of musical compositions posted to YouTube, little besides a few EPs, had really been revealed as to the identity of Rodriguez or her tarot-card inspired alias, Empress Of. The result of prolonged self-imposed five week isolation in Mexico and entirely self-produced, Me is an album unavoidably about its creator.
Yet despite the boldness of its cover, Me begins with rather contrasting uncertainty (“should I be afraid”) and yearning dependency (“everything I do is because of you”) in opener ‘Everything Is You’. This lovely combination of capturing falsettos and embraced vulnerability lyrically evoke the image of a small bird tentatively lifting its head to the light of day before embarking the nest. Perfectly encapsulating the nervous energy and excitement attributed to this long awaited debut. But this hesitant start by no means offers a precedent for the rest of Me.
Empress Of’s debut certainly offers a work depicting an intensely personal unchronological journey. The vividly evocative ‘Icon’ echoing a requiem for a lost romantic relationship and nostalgic (“the memory of you keeps on creeping up my slippery spine all this evening”) contrasted with strong notions of personal discovery, acceptance and introspection (“I just need myself to love myself”) in ‘Need Myself’.
Yet this sensitivity is combined and scattered between political statements universally relatable and the address of important societal issues, particularly the sanctity of H2O in modern society in the rippling synths of ‘Water Water’ (“Water, water is a privilege/ Just like kids who go to college”). Later feisty number ‘Kitty Kat’ is fierce, littered with strong declaratives and echoes of feminist dialogue. “Don’t take me by the hand and walk me through with pity,” Lorely demands in the first lines, a far cry from the dependent image of the first number.
On 11th September 2015 via XL/Terrible Records, Me arrives direct, firmly announcing the artistic direction Empress Of is going to take – a must-listen for fans of Björk or Grimes.
Jessica Heath