Res's How I Do

1. Golden Boys
2. They-Say Vision
3. 700 Mile Situation
4. Ice King
5. Sittin' Back
6. How I Do
7. If There Ain't Nothing
8. The Hustler
9. I've Known the Garden
10. Let Love
11. Tsunami

Res's 2001 album, How I Do, was largely slept on. I recall listening to it perhaps 3 or 4 years ago and mostly liking what I heard. Perhaps due to her taste for multiple genres, it was difficult to force her into the R&B box. Moreover, despite Santigold (unknown at this time except as a songwriter and producer) writing and producing much of How I Do, perhaps 2001 audiences weren't ready for a genre crossover album lacking typical R&B hooks, overdramatic singing, and, though Res is very good-looking, more sex appeal to sell her as a black woman R&B artist. From what I have read, some songs got airplay but her career never really took off as a mainstream artist, while today Santigold has achieved mainstream attention and appreciation. It's quite disappointing and revealing of a certain degree of racism in the music industry regarding categorizing and selling black women as products. Naturally, all women (and likely all artists with contracts with large labels) have to "sell-out" to a certain degree for enough investment and support, but Res maintained her integrity and unique music as a black woman who likes rock, as well as other genres instead of allowing herself to be pigeonholed into R&B and soul. Santigold was able to achieve that on a larger-scale in 2007 and 2008, despite earlier attempts to categorize her music as R&B solely due to her race. Perhaps Res just came too early, if this album were released in 2008 or 2009, perhaps she would've created shock waves. Think about it, we have Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, and Santigold as black women artists who are not limiting themselves into solely pop or R&B categories, pursuing, to a certain degree, their artistic inclinations.

But I digress, as for the album itself, it's quite a unique listening experience. Perhaps my favorite track, "Golden Boys" features some hip-hop-styled drums, an interesting keyboard line and Res's unique, balanced voice engaged in a mix between casual talking and singing. Santigold's production comes out full-blown in the chorus, with strings, and layers of sound upon each other. The chorus is quite catchy and the quirky sound effects and beat likely made this quite unique back in 2001, but the lyrical content is particularly interesting: But then there're girls like me who sit appalled by what we've seen, We know the truth about you, Now you're the prince of all the magazines, That is a dangerous thing." Res keeps it real about "golden boys" who are not what they seem and offers an important warning. What I would like to know, however, is if Santigold or whoever wrote the song was thinking of a particular rapper or male artist who was the "golden boy"? Some have thrown out crazy suggestions that it was Mos Def, but I found no evidence of a relationship between Mos Def and Res or Mos Def and Santi. Again, it is hard to categorize or classify this song as R&B or perhaps a fusion of multiple styles, who knows? Like Santigold's later work, it is beyond simple classificatory schemes.

"They Say Vision" is another one of those hard-to-classify tracks, with some rockish guitar, bass, and an enigmatic keyboard riff. Undoubtedly, it leans more toward rock, which must have confused a lot of folks! Though not evincing signs of the punk music Santigold would record with Stiffed (here is an example of that era in her musical career), it's quite catchy and Res sings a poppy chorus. I believe this song got some radio, VH1, or MTV rotation, but was not R&B enough for many listeners. The drums and bass are on point, too. As for "700 Mile Situation," we see signs of Santi's interest in dub and reggae. Lacking the faster tempos and ska and punk elements in Santigold's future forays into dub on her Santogold, this slow-tempo piece with funk guitar riffs and an ethereal, un-R&B and non-rock sound. I don't know how one would classify it, but it's quite fascinating in its production while Res sings in her usual calm, restrained style. The guitars and "reggae-tinge" really keep this track interesting though, as do the interesting drums nearly 4 minutes into the song, right before it ends, almost like nyabinghi drums used by Rastarfarians.

Moving on, "Ice King" has a rocky hook and was apparently sampled by Nas. Res sings more in an R&B style with rock or perhaps funk-oriented guitar, particularly evident as a funkier track than I thought with R&B crooning in the chorus. The hip-hop drum production and very sparse atmosphere with strings outside of the repetitive guitar hook inevitably centers the piece on Res's voice. "How can we grow when we've only begun," indeed. An enjoyable piece with Santi's expert songwriting and/or production. "Sittin Back" on the other hand is full-out funk, with funky guitar, synthesizers, hip-hop drumming, and heavy bass. She also adopts a hip-hop-styled rapping-esque quality in the chorus, while still sounding very dark, minor, or otherworldly. Similarly dark funky hip-hop and R&B with what may be wah-wah guitars appeared elsewhere in the first decade of 21st century hip-hop and R&B, and Res even drops in a few niggas, too! This is perhaps the more conventional material from the album, though still a little 'out there' compared to most 2001 R&B releases. Likewise, "How I Do" is gloriously funky, grand, beautiful, and danceable. Res's voice soars and there is, though I forget the term, the use of her own voice recorded at different times and thrown together in the song, reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's similar technique. That bass! It's irresistibly funky! Santi, Res, whoever wrote this and produced it, well-done. To describe it succinctly, "How I Do" is glorious, beautiful, and funky."That's just how we do."

"If There Ain't Nothing" returns to mellow ground, with an interesting piano sample (presumably a sample, who knows). It's a little quirky and I am unsure what's going on in the production, though an electric guitar added to the mix recalls Res's interest in rock. It seems more indebted to rock, as the wailing electric guitar indicates, but I actually like it. The mellow, alternative sound surprisingly won me over, though I am biased in favor of Res's more conventional R&B and funk-oriented tracks on the album. The drums are deceptively simple in their arrangement, too, with some compelling rhythms thrown down. "The Hustler" is likewise a quirkier piece, but with some nice allusions to Wilson Pickett's "Engine Number 9," a funk classic recorded in Philadelphia, Res's hometown (or perhaps an allusion to Black Sheep's "The Choice Is Yours"). Her almost child-like rhyme in the chorus is quite moving, as well as the experimental touch of her voice reverberating in and out in the track. "Engine engine #9, you get your way or I'll get mine sure as the sun will shine each day." Quite interesting to hear, and perhaps the result of Santi's production and writing? It features all sorts of interesting sounds, fuzz, reverb, and, unfortunately, the youtube link messes up the audio, check this.

"I've Known the Garden" features a funky rockish beat, bluesy guitar licks and Res's unique vocals, accompanying herself through the production. "Bye-bye roses," indeed, this is quite funky, individualistic and the guitar is scratchy and interesting for incorporating that into the sample, adding a, once again, earthy and bizarre element. "Let Love" is also a little strange in the production style, using synthesizers for the introduction that sound ghastly yet attractive, while the funky hip-hop quality of drumming remains. The odd, catchy synthesizer returns for the chorus, creating a heavy atmospheric sound while Res's vocals attain an almost science-fictiony quality with such music in the background. However, the song still shows some R&B or neo-soul influences, in the keyboard, for instance, showing that Res and Santi were aware of developments or trends in R&B. Check this live version from a show in Brooklyn. I love Rastafari references in the lyrics as well as the chorus:

And when the sun runs out
No doubts left standing
(who knows if it'll go our way)
And when the sun runs out
No doubts left standing
(Insha Allah it'll be okay) 

"Tsunami" is "interesting" rhythmically and what sounds like a banjo is incorporated. Res sings more in a conventionally R&B smooth style here despite the strange, unexpected musical accompaniment. I am unable to describe what exactly is going on, but it's an interesting endeavor to sing in this style with this complex interplay of various sounds that may seem incongruent at times. As the title may suggest, there is something of a wave of sounds replicated in the production, concluding an otherworldly but compelling journey into alternative sounds of R&B in 2001. There is some signs of the style of Santigold here and though Res rarely engages in the "diva" female R&B vocalist, their collaboration led to nice hooks, interesting lyrical content, and a fascinating assortment of instruments and sounds for the production of the album. I shall purchase a physical copy of her How I Do just to endeavor to discover some of the sources for the samples. My favorite tracks of the album are "Let Love," "Golden Boy," "I Know the Garden," "The Hustler," "How I Do" for its unbelievable funkiness, and "If There Ain't Nothing." It would be interesting to hear her material with Talib Kweli and future projects, since her live performances on youtube incite interest. In addition, a Santigold track from the album was apparently removed before release, which may explain a non-existent or negative relationship between Res and Santi today, according to this article, which refers to Res as her "then friend."