Cool Hunting
Like a mini-greatest hits album, Stephanie McKay’s new eponymous EP is a sampling of her new and old songs introducing this talented Bronx native to U.S. audiences for the first time. Her European solo album came out a few years ago, produced by Geoff Barrow (one-half of Portishead), and she's worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kelis and Amp Fiddler, but this is her first solo release stateside. Finally signed to the eclectic Astralwerks (Hot Chip, Air, The Chemical Brothers, and Beth Orton), McKay's poised to get the credit she deserves.
Characterized by heartfelt vocals, musical influences ranging from classic 60’s soul to reggae, and a hip-hop tinged nu-soul treatment, the EP is part sneak preview of the full-length album Tell It Like It Is (scheduled for release in early 2007), and part retrospective, with two songs previously available only in Europe and largely unknown to American audiences. DJ Spinna (who McKay worked with on Intergalactic Soul), contributes the bouncy soulful house remix of “Tell It Like It Is” that rounds out the five-track EP. Order from iTunes.
by DJ Scribe
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