Kelis Rogers, better known as Kelis, is no stranger to serving up good eats.
A decade ago she gave us her famous single, “Milkshake,” and now she is serving up a full-course meal in her new album, “Food.”
The album begins with the most important meal of the day, “Breakfast,” a rich cocktail of boozy horn and sharp bass that’s strung together with Rogers’ soulful voice. Each song flows flawlessly into the next, a skill that Rogers perfected in her 2010 album “Flesh Tone,” but here it’s more organic.
The theme of soul-food is continued with songs like “Cobbler,” “Jerk Ribs,” “Biscuits n’ Gravy,” and “Friday Fish Fry,” all of which prove just how polished and mature Rogers’ sound has become.
Songs like “Floyd,” “Rumble” and “Runnin” tell stories of unrequited and passionate love that bubble over with such a well-composed rawness they leave an aftertaste of a sticky, warm summer night.
One of the gems of this album is her cover of the Labi Siffre song, “Bless the Telephone,” which showcases the smooth delicacy of Rogers’ voice accompanied by nothing other than a guitar and an unnamed male voice.
In all, “Food” showcases Rogers’ dynamic ability as a singer-songwriter and leaves you wanting seconds.
Our rating: 5/5