A marching bassline, jolting beats and aggressive chants immediately whip up a rebellious frenzy in opening track 'GO!'. Electronic squiggles bounce off nu-wave melodies, serving as a natural bridge between Santi's two works. As such, scuzzy guitars atop smooth island jams on 'Disparate Youth' only reinforce her affection for musical hybrids, while the lyrics are as insurgent as ever.
The mood abruptly changes course on 'God From The Machine' where all the energy is suddenly swallowed by wistful synths and White's hollering vocal. 'This Isn't Our Parade' and 'The Riot's Gone' continue to expose Santi's vulnerable side and form tribal-infused paeans that lie somewhere between MIA and Florence + the Machine.
The experimenting isn't always successful. Light hip-hop verses, flashes of hi-wired dubstep and incongruous lyrics plague 'Fame' and 'Look At These Hoes', diluting her political charge and stalling the album's overarching command. Like many revolutions, Master is one that lacks focus and occasionally forgets what it set out to achieve.
Tracks to download: 'GO!', 'Disparate Youth', 'God From The Machine'
If you like this, you'll like: MIA, Florence + the Machine
Watch the music video for Santigold's 'Disparate Youth' below:
