Janelle Monáe
The ArchAndroid
(Bad Boy Records/Warner)

For the uninitiated, go peep Janelle Monáe's jaw-dropping performance of 'Tightrope' on Letterman in May 2010 then report back, just so you know what you're dealing with here. Ordinarily, this'd be a cop-out; ordinarily, you'd be right to call me a goddamned lazy writer for pointing readers off-screen. But damn, if you haven't seen that video, you must. It's remarkable because Monáe – an exceptional vocalist, dancer and entertainer in her own right – is operating within the tightly-leashed, clichéd confines of the late night TV spot, yet somehow, the singer and her band skilfully throw aside decades of forced, contrived on-camera choreography through sheer energy and charisma. It's the most memorable TV performance of my generation; truly, a career-defining four minutes. Without that kick-ass, life-affirming performance, I wouldn't know her name or her music.

And so here we are, standing in the shadow of 'Tightrope'. Let's get it out of the way first, as thankfully, it's not the best track to appear on The ArchAndroid. The ear is immediately drawn to the peculiar, unexpected kick drum rhythm and the bass notes that fill the spaces beneath Monáe's calm, yet excitable vocal delivery. I've heard comparisons to Outkast's 'Hey Ya' thrown around a lot with regard to this track - though mostly with regard to her awesome, shoe-shuffling dancing – but truth is that the chorus hook in 'Tightrope' bests that track. (Handily, Big Boi – a.k.a. half of Outkast – provides guest vocals on this track, and is listed as one of the album's executive producers.) "Whether you're high or low/You got to tip on the tightrope". Simple. Effective. Use the tightrope as a metaphor for whatever the hell you want, or just admire it as a bangin' track that skilfully positions itself between pop, dance, R'N'B, hip hop and soul. Monáe appeals to fans of all of these genres in one catchy tune; to her credit, listeners using 'Tightrope' as an invitation to further explore Monáe's talents will be pleasantly surprised throughout The ArchAndroid.

This is an album of considerable depth and ambition. Featuring 18 tracks at a duration of almost 70 minutes, there's a lot to take in. I anticipate it'll take many more listens to fully digest this release. For now, file the following under 'great': 'Make The Bus', a cute collaboration with Canadian indie-weirdos of Montreal; 'Come Alive (War Of The Roses)', wherein the singer goes positively ballistic midway through a song characterised by a memorable descending bass motif; 'Mushrooms & Roses', which moves from elegant, orchestral tranquility toward a towering electric guitar solo across six minutes; and 'Wondaland', a silky-smooth cut backed by a buoyant bassline and a chorus of heavenly vocals. Lyrically, The ArchAndroid deals with a "fictional tale of a messianic android" and "themes of love, identity, and self-realisation" - or so I'm told. 

I know this much: 1) Monáe has a brilliant vocal range, regardless of what she's singing about. 2) Both the musical arrangements and production values are of consistent high quality. 3) Sean Combs ("Diddy", "P Diddy", "Puff Daddy", etc) and his label, Bad Boy Records, have clearly sunk some serious funds into producing and marketing this record. They believe in Janelle Monáe as a career artist. And based on this accomplished debut, so do I.

Andrew McMillen