Merenia Gillies – Libertine
Libertine – Merenia Gillies
by Aidan Roberts
“My love is old school, my shit is old school.” So chants Merenia Gillies on this, her debut record unto the world, and there is an element of truth in that sentiment, for better or worse. She is something of an undiscovered urban diva, her music a swaggering cocktail of late ’70s funk pop and modern-day West Coast RnB. Not an immediately enticing prospect for this reviewer, but Merenia delivers the goods with considerable flair and soul, and this is tidily produced stuff. Lip Service is a deep funk soul number, and the seductive Avance (Como me gusta tu Ritmo) lets Gillies’ vocals really shine. There’s an overtly American urban schtick at play, and happily these songs evoke some of the ghostly 80’s grooves and sultry mystique of Grace Jones. Gillies and her tight band punch through this material with aplomb, and there’s enough clubby electronics and simple jazziness to enable remixes aplenty. It is a potent thing to be sure, and this girl could well prove to be a bit of a hit.
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