MOG

Good morning cyberboys and cybergirls. I'm happy to announce we have a star-crossed winner in today's heartbreak sweepstakes. Android 57821, otherwise known as Cindi Mayweather, has fallen desperately in love with a human named Anthony Greendow. And you know the rules: she's now scheduled for immediate disassembly! Bounty hunters, you can find her in the Neon Valley street district on the fourth floor at the Leopard Plaza apartment complex. The droid patrol martials are full of fun rules today. No phasers, only chainsaws and electro-daggers! Remember, only card-carrying hunters can join our chase today. And as usual there will be no reward until her cyber soul has been turned in to the star commission. Happy hunting!

Thus begins the journey of Cindi Mayweather, a lovelorn android running for her life in the year 2719, as told by the vocally-blessed Janelle Monae with all the mass-produced sunshine of an airline stewardess, over the musical equivalent of a death march. This opening track, March of the Wolfmasters, sets the optimistically ominous tone of her new EP, Metropolis: The Chase Suite, which has all the passion, secrecy, anger, and desperation one would expect from the newly-crowned lovechild of Freak Rock and R&B who sucks on a little house candy all day long. Robert A. Heinlein must be rolling over in his grave.

On the verge of stardom thanks to supporters like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, P. Diddy, and Pete Wentz, Monae is no imitator, nor is she naive. She knows we are eager to follow her further down the rabbit hole - with complete knowledge that there is no turning back - and run with Cindi as she eludes her would-be executioners at every turn. She knows we hunger to find ourselves in a foreign land where Bjork-worthy levels of weirdness are the order of the day, a place where we must ask ourselves, "Are you bold enough to reach for love?" Cindi is, and she's lucky to have Monae to tell her tale. In Violet Stars Happy Hunting! Monae takes us through Cindi's initial escape from the city with a soundtrack that sounds like a trippy, spaced-out, Erykah Badu-fronted No Doubt who came from the future to warn you that in 10 minutes an expert killing machine will pop out from behind a fake plant and attempt to take you out. So be warned. In this land, it's "fall in love and they're coming to get you."

The themes of love and freedom find their way into all seven songs on this EP, especially in Many Moons, a song which bears a slight resemblance to the freaky sound and structure of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Here, Monae tells us in a voice of candy-coated venom that, "You're freedom's in a bind," and proceeds to spout off an extensive list of conditions that carry a social stigma - "HIV, coke head, closet drunk" - in a seeming attempt to speak to the hearts of Cindi's would-be captors. Android, AIDS patient, alcoholic - we all have our problems, but do we deserve to die for them?

Social and political themes dominate Cindi's story. In Mr. President, which could easily be the lead single from this EP, Monae seems to take a sweet-toothed swipe at George W. Bush with lines like "Can we talk about the education of our children?" and "Use your heart and not your pride." It could be also be Monae's way of exposing Cindi for what she really is: one of us. Whether we live in the present-day United States or Cindi's home of Metropolis in 2719, we all face the same issues, we all have leaders who may or may not drag us into unwanted conflict, and we are all pursued by some force that scares us to death. With its R&B rhythm reminiscent of early 70s Al Green, this is the song Lily Allen wishes she wrote, and Wyclef Jean is muttering to himself, "Damn. Why didn't I think of that first?"

Monae's vocal talents are soaring all over the record, but they're given the chance to really shine on the final track, a rendition of the 20th century standard "Smile." The slow, smooth, ballad is the only one of it's kind here, but it provides fitting closure with its 60s pop vibe and vocals in tribute to one of its popularizers, Judy Garland. In Monae's context, this could be Cindi's dream song, where she and her human lover Anthony have finally found peace, perhaps in death. A Romeo and Juliet for the 26th century. "You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile" - a cliche, but no trite sentiment when coming from Monae's lips. She doesn't specify which world this life is in, but that is Cindi's secret and Monae has said too much already. Let's hope that Monae sticks with story-telling and continues to bring it to us in the freakiest, sexiest, most honest way possible. 

Track Listing

1. March of the Wolfmasters

2. Violet Stars Happy Hunting!

3. Many Moons

4. Cybertronic Purgatory

5. Sincerely, Jane

6. Mr. President

7. Smile