CD Reviews

Tanya Tagaq

Auk/Blood | Ipecac

By MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY | September 10, 2008

2.5 Stars

Out of the icy climes of Nunavut, Canada, Tanya Tagaq Gillis has brought the aboriginal throat singing of her Inuit forebears to collaborations with the Kronos Quartet and a featured role on Björk’s Medulla. Her second solo disc blends the native style with distinctly modern forms that range from æthereal to danceable. The opening “Fox/Tiriganiak” is a stark introduction to the primal expressiveness of the art form: though rough and inarticulate, the visceral, glottal sounds that Tagaq generates impart meaning and emotion. Too often, though, she plays a supporting role on her own album. Perhaps not confident that her wordless experiments can sustain attention, she enlists noted growler Mike Patton and Canadian rapper Buck 65 to take the lead on a few tracks. Patton blends well on the radiant “Fire/Ikuma,” but Buck 65’s lazy, hackneyed flow on “Want” and “Gentle” obscure Tagaq’s compositions. When left to her own devices, Tagaq is tantalizing. Her spoken voice is used to great effect on “Hunger,” a sexy prose poem of obsessive devotion accented by her lusty vocalizations. “Tategak” builds a siren’s song on the able violin of Jesse Zubot and culminates in an otherworldly climax. Auk/Blood is a unique exploration of the voice as instrument — Tagaq should not shy from the spotlight.

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Topics: CD Reviews , Mike Patton

Comments

Re: Tanya Tagaq

"but Buck 65’s lazy, hackneyed flow on “Want” and “Gentle” obscure Tagaq’s compositions" - Well,I guess,As this site is from Boston,your reviewer may be painfully unaware of buck65 in general,because he is NOT "lazy" with words...And Tanya Tagaq KNOWS this,and specifically CHOSE him outright for his gruff,layed back,woodsman style self...Maybe they are just not a "fan" of buck65,but almost ALL his albums get critical acclaim here in canada... I agree of course that this album could be without "guests" but i don't slight her for picking suck wild dudes as Patton and Buck65...To bad you can't wrap your own minds around it,but i can... ...I give 2.5 NUTZ to you M.P.B...

By Rory28 on 10/20/2008 at 3:09:39

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