Janelle Monáe – The Archandroid

Janelle Monáe simply lists her genre as ‘bending’, an apt description for a record that encompasses everything from Broadway rock-operatics and acid infused jazz, to black liberation theology and the Motown groove of the young Jackson brood…

Janelle Monáe – The Archandroid

Aretha Franklin. Grace Jones. Led Zeppelin. Bob Marley. Muhammad Ali. Outkast. David Bowie. Salvador Dali. Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia’. Stevie Wonder. Mary Poppins. James Brown. Tim Burton. Philip K Dick. Pink Floyd. Rabbi Loev’s ‘Golem’. Peter Pan. Michael Jackson. Princess Leia. Queen. Phil Collins. Blade Runner. Rachmaninoff. Cream. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. Geppetto. Beyonce Knowles. Cornell West. Jimi Hendrix.

On her ‘myspace.com’ page, Janelle Monáe simply lists her genre as ‘bending’, an apt description for a record that encompasses everything from Broadway rock-operatics and acid infused jazz, to black liberation theology and the Motown groove of the young Jackson brood. The compiled list above barely scratches the surface, and upon each re-listen of The Archandroid I find more and more influences to add to it.

The truth is Monáe probably has no idea herself how deeply she has drawn from in her debut LP. ‘Comprehensive opus’ would be a simple understatement. Neatly immersed in this harmonious melting pot is the story of Monáe’s alter-ego Cindy Mayweather, a messianic clone on the run for the double-headed reason of love and politics in a futuristic ‘everycity’ called Metropolis. Everybody loves a good redemption tale, but it’s not often you listen to one sounding this good.

The album is split into two Suites (II and III). At the beginning of each Suite there is an orchestral overture, introducing the main melodic themes to the listener, which are threaded throughout the remainder of the record. This cohesive approach regarding the record’s structure holds it together both musically and from a narrative perspective. Launching straight out from “Suite II Overture” is the seamless triple-threat of “Dance or Die”, “Faster”, and “Locked Inside” which force the listener to get off the couch and dance in the kitchen with their heart-thumping blend of soul/funk/r’n’b, (the line “you kill me softly with your sun” in “Faster” pays direct homage to Roberta Flack, one of the matriarchs of the genre). “Sir Greendown” provides a slight breather, introducing the protagonist’s love interest, and then it’s straight back to full throttle with the albums first two singles “Cold War” and “Tightrope” (featuring Big Boi, the less flamboyant half of Outkast).

“Oh, Maker” continues with the soul vibes, an old fashioned love song containing some of my favourite lyrics on the album: “Oh, maker tell me did you know/ this love would burn so yellow/becoming orange and in it’s time/from grey to black then bloody wine?” Monáe’s history in musical theatre rings clearly through “Come Alive (The War of the Roses)”, with its flamboyant foot stomping and moody growls and shrieks. The final stanza of the Suite, “Mushrooms and Roses” employs the psychedelic malaise of our parents’ generation, hinting at the changing sound (from ‘soul’ to ‘experimental’) that will come to define Suite III.

There is a distinct change of mood in the second half of the record. Mayweather is lost, like Solomon’s virgin in his ‘Song of Songs’, and her cry to be “take(n) back to Wondaland” rings true and clear throughout Suite III. “Make the Bus” features indie-poppers Of Montreal, and has distinct Bowie-esque twists and turns. “52781” (Mayweather’s prisoner tag as she is imprisoned at The Palace of the Dogs) draws from the pastoral folk of the 70’s, namely Genesis’ definitive record, “Selling England by the Pound”.

“BabopbyeYa”, reminiscent of a pre-Brosnan 007 spy thriller, is the ‘Grand Finalé’ for The Archandroid. Itself split into three parts, the 8 minute tour de force employs an encyclopedic execution, comprising deep funk, tribal intonations, a choral interlude, and among other elements, a lone oboe, harp flourishes, and trumpet heralding in the end of the narrative. The list of influences proposed at the start of this analysis is only really a snippet of what happened in this 70-minute long masterpiece.

The record cannot be contained in a ‘review’ as such; what is really required is a thesis to break down what is going on here. But to hammer out such a scientific approach could potentially rip the soul out of what is truly the spiritual sojourn of a young singer finding her way in love and life.

The Archandroid is left open ended. Mayweather’s, (and hopefully Monáe’s own) story does not finish here. But neither does yours, or mine, and I think that this raw display of humanity might be the reason the record has such a powerful connection, and maybe in 20 years time why critics will be looking back at what could potentially be a highly influential piece of art.

“I see beyond tomorrow/this life of strife and sorrow/my freedom calls and I must follow.”

Verdict: the fact she is only 25 makes me want to faint.

By Theo Sangster, October 2010.