The New Music

After almost as many delays as her labelmate Kid Sister, Amanda Blank finally emerges with her debut album, I Love You.

From Philly and part of a collective that also includes scenesters like Spank Rock, Santigold and Diplo, Blank has built her cred since she first graced Spank Rock’s “Bump” three years ago. With influences covering a spectrum that’s even broader than Santigold (”’90s R&B, ’80s dance, indie, new wave and Britpop” - according to her label), she definitely brings variety to her game.

Co-produced by Spank Rock’s XXXChange, Diplo, Switch and TV On the Radio’s David Sitek, Blank is definitely privileged and, for a good portion of the album, able to back up the talent surrounding her. Known for a big ol’ potty mouth, she never really holds back, epitomizing the raunchy persona with “Something Bigger, Something Better,” cranking her cocky ‘tude up with Spank Rock on the slap-happy “Gimme What You Got,” and spitting come ons for XXXChange’s “Might Like You Better,” a reworking of Romeo Void’s 1982 forgotten classic, “Never Say Never.”

But there are some surprises. “A Love Song” drops the adrenalized party raps and changes up the pace with a slowold school beat. Featuring Santigold, it might sound strange, but the song recalls the retro pop-isms of Milli Vanilli. Yeah, strange. Even more of a surprise is the album closer, where she invites Lykke Li to coo over top of “Leaving You Behind,” a bittersweet farewell that sounds most like the sort of warm layers a producer like Sitek would use in his work.

For the most part, I Love You is unapologetic party music that should meet most expectations that have waited long and hard for this

Listen to it here

Artist: Amanda Blank
Album:I Love You
Release Date: August 4, 2009
Label: Downtown Music/Fontana North
Genre: Dirty Rap
Author: Cam Lindsay
First Spin Live Until: August 11, 2009

Track Listing:

1. Make It Take It
2. Something Bigger, Something Better
3. Make-Up
4. Gimme What You Got
5. Lemme Get Some
6. Shame On Me
7. A Love Song
8. DJ
9. Might Like You Better
10. Big Heavy
11. Leaving You Behind

Tags: Amanda Blank, first spin

Posted on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 at 5:01 pm by Klye and is filed under Reviews, The New Music.

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