(Singles are italicized, recommendations are in red.)By the year 2000, if you did not know who Macy Gray was, you had to have been a very sheltered (and possibly amish) individual. Her smash single "I Try" played all over the radio, and her unique, raspy voice was her trademark. It's evident that she put lots of hard work into her debut album, On How Life Is, as her vocals really shine in all 11 tracks.
Personally, I had never really paid much attention to Macy Gray or her (now dwindling) career until recently for some reason. I had "I Try" stuck in my head for days and decided it was time to look into more of her music, beyond the 2 or 3 songs of hers I knew, and I'm glad I did.
1. "Why Didn't You Call Me" - Had a situation like this not happened to me around the time I heard this song for the first time (about a month ago), I would have written Gray off as being over-possessive, creepy, smothering and stalkerish in this song. In it, she expresses her frustration over not having her calls returned by someone she though she had formed a good romantic relationship with (though, in this day in age it would most likely be called "Why Didn't You Text Me".) It's a decent track, and her vocals really hold up against the funky beat.
2. "Do Something" - This is a very motivational track about how you just need to be motivated to "Do Something". It's got a great message, but it gets annoying after a while. Not really a favorite of mine.
3. "Caligula" - From the opening beats of this song (where she sings "Hush / The neighbors hear you moanin' and groanin' / And I just can't help it / 'Specially when we be bonin'") to the closing of the song, it's evident that Macy likes to get freaky. "He wanna fight and make me feel like I'm nothin'," she sings, "Never lovin' / But we're always f****n'", in reference to a guy she is head over heels for. She compares him to her favorite movie (she wants to see him again and again), her disco (he's really groovy), her 7-11 (got her open like an all-night store), and many other things. It's a weird song at first, but it really grew on me, and is one of my favorites on here. Well done, Macy.
4. "I Try" - Do I really need to review this one? We've all heard it. Recorded in 1997 (two years prior to the album's release), this is Gray's signature song.
5. "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" - In the most explicit track on the album, Macy explains that she is a "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak / When I'm witchu", whatever that is. Something about it all seems very retro, very '70s. But maybe that's just me.
6. "I Can't Wait to Meetchu" - This could easily be a Church Gospel song. Gray sings about doing right so when she dies she can get to heaven. It's just an average track, probably the worst on the album.
7. "Still" - A nice, slow ballad about how Macy still loves her ex, although he was no good for her. It's a nice song, and anyone who's gone through this can relate (I know I can).
8. "I've Committed Murder" - This song documents (what I hope are simply) Gray's fantasies of killing the "Mean ol' b***h" who fires her boyfriend from the cafe he works in. They then escape to Jamaica, get married, and have no regrets. It's quite humorous.
9. "A Moment to Myself" - I love this one. Macy's voice fits it perfectly. It's a nice, light, easygoing song.
10. "The Letter" - By far THE creepiest song on here. Upon first listen, it seems like a nice, light song, if you're not paying attention to the lyrics. If you listen to the lyrics, you suddenly realize it's Macy's song about killing herself! Despite the morbidity of the lyrics, Gray's vocals really shine, and I love it.
11. "Rather Hazy" - This bonus track is another good one. I can't really explain it. It's just good. (Available on Japanese and Australian pressings of the album.)
(Wow. Can you tell I really like this album?) :P
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