Happy Rhodes Find Me
2007, Auntie Social Music
Fans of area cult artist Happy Rhodes have been foaming at the mouth for the past nine years awaiting her 11th studio record, but at least she didn’t make them wait 12 years like Kate Bush did. Perhaps the comparisons have become a bit hackneyed since Rhodes broke onto the scene in 1984, but the ghost of Kate will always be found in the upper range of Rhodes’s stunning four-and-a-half-octave vocals. However, that’s where comparisons end. On Find Me, Rhodes has created her most mature album to date while still retaining her quirky, trademark electro-textures.
Best to use headphones with this artist—she’s embedded many unexpected sonic treasures in the stellar production found on her recent releases, and Find Me is no exception. On track one, her jolting man-voice punches you in the face on the third beat, where percussion, electronics, and bass also weigh in heavily. The heartbreaking title track heralds back to Rhodes’s gentler, early acoustic works, spotlighting her skyscraping vocals and pleading lyrics. Groovy tracks like “Little Brother” and “She Won’t Go” will remind listeners of such previous Billboard charters as “Roy” and “Collective Heart.” Rhodes’s audience has always been a perplexing cross-section—fans of female singer-songwriters like Tori Amos, as well as those of prog rock acts like Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson. Regardless, with this release Rhodes’s die-hard disciples will continue to revel in her distinctive and enigmatic sound. www.myspace.com/happyrhodes.
This article appears in April 2008.
