SELF ESTEEM ‘A COMPLICATED WOMAN’ | EMPOWERING, TASTEFUL AND NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED
ALBUM REVIEW | SELF ESTEEM – A COMPLICATED WOMAN by Gracie Erskine
Pseudonym star, Self Esteem’s third studio album ‘A Complicated Woman’ is simply and colloquially put a ‘cunty’ knuckle sandwich.
From the stage to the studio, Rebecca Lucy Taylor has dabbled in every creative avenue and stamped her name throughout. Initially forming one half of earnest indie folk duo Slow Club, Taylor has pulled herself out of the timid trenches. Just over a year ago, the Rotherham singer finalised her performance as the lead role of Sally Bowles in the West-End production of Cabaret, and her theatrical tendencies have not dispersed on her latest record. With a limited residency at the Duke of York’s London, Taylor presented a live theatrical performance to complement the release of the album.
Inspiringly mournful, ‘I Do, and I Don’t Care’ takes bolt cutters to the emotional padlock on the interpersonal record. A transcendent choir illuminates the track in a hopeful despair of conflict before Taylor warms the track with a sincerely relatable spoken word reflecting on fears of maturing. The mercury-prize nominee’s thick Yorkshire accent certifies the tracks earnest nature; ‘is this really all there is?‘. The track wistfully soothes itself into a crescendo of questioning ‘If I’m so empowered, why am I such a coward?’, with racing violins mimicking a rattling head, the track is nothing but real.
The track sets up the album for a unifying collage of singular fears that share, posing the South Yorkshire star as a puppeteer behind a club that feels distinctly Self Esteem as she leads, but so much more than just herself.
Whilst the opening track and its following ‘Focus Is Power’ both feel like they could draw the red curtain on a theatre show, the album shifts its vision into a beating backhander in ‘Mother’. Seducing itself into a repetition of ‘I am not mother, I am not your mother, I am not your Mum’. It’s a heterosexual male loathing track, and quite frankly for all the right reasons.
Track after track you seem to fall into the albums arms swaying in agreement. ‘The Curse’ rattles two fingers in the most harmonic and beautiful way, symphonically wailing ‘Fuck you my friend, fuck you’.
Inviting ticked-off toe-tapper ‘Cheers To Me’ scenes itself in the finale for a mid-album track posing itself to a more fruitful and optimistic sense of closure; one that’s got shaking and moving with all the fire in your belly.
Taylor invites Sue Tompkins onto ‘Logic Bitch’ and Moonchild Sanelly on ‘In Plain Sight’, solidifying the arms together ambience of the album. Yet the feature from Nadine Shah in the villainous club blend ‘Lies’ in coalescence from its breathless and moaning outro into the sexually feeing and ultimately frustrated party anthem ‘69’, showcases the variety that Self Esteem draws from her patriarchal pissing off.
Going full circle, the choir rejoins and rejoices for the curtain close, a relief from the therapy of the album, the final breath of clarity with ‘The Deep Blue Okay’ persisting to ‘try today’.
‘A Complicated Woman’ defies its title as Self Esteem cleans the window of reality, puts a warm hand on your back and drags you to the party. Dare to say, the woman is not complicated as its impossible to listen to and not relate, not one issue is singular and not one expectation is complicit and not one woman is complicated in this heavenly body the South Yorkshire siren has concocted.
Self Esteem hits the road in September for a UK and Ireland tour, remaining tickets can be found below
A Complicated Woman will be released Friday 25th April via Polydor Records and is available to buy in various formats and exclusive bundles HERE or Pre-save HERE
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