to listen or purchase
I had Bark Then Bite, the new CD by Candice Anitra, on repeat for about 2 and half weeks. By the end of that time, I had six of the album's 11 tracks on heavy rotation. The six tracks that stood out represent the kind of music Anitra can make when the many facets of her musical personality hit on all cylinders. The album's other tracks don't have the same bite
I had Bark Then Bite, the new CD by Candice Anitra, on repeat for about 2 and half weeks. By the end of that time, I had six of the album's 11 tracks on heavy rotation. The six tracks that stood out represent the kind of music Anitra can make when the many facets of her musical personality hit on all cylinders. The album's other tracks don't have the same bite
"White Lines," the album's opening track is a rollicking funk, blues, rock fusion that is perfectly suited for Anitra's throaty vocals. "Let's Continue" sports a tempo that alternates between a funky rhythm section driven beat that shifts into a pulsating punk feel that backs the song's catchy hook. "Take Me," with its minimalist instrumentation and seductive and tastefully done bedroom lyrics, is an indie rock love ballad. The album's best song, "Who Invited You," is a straight up, mid tempo soulful head nodder. The song takes an interesting view on concepts and individuals that - despite all of our best efforts - take up residence in our lives and thoughts. "Who Invited You," treats these things like uninvited guests, while "Too Much Woman" is a hip-hop influenced song that allows Anitra to boast about her swagger.
"Objectify," the album's final track, is sultry number in which Anitra shows that best erotic songs often leave a lot to the listener's imagination. "Objectify" is a bump and grind tune that features blaring horns, electric organs and lyrics that bring to mind two people who have put the pretenses of polite society aside in order to revel in unbridled passion. The amazing thing about this song is that Anitra paints a steamy picture without getting explicit. "Put it on, take it off, bend over boy, if you're man enough, slow it down, speed it up, don't be shy, I like it rough." The grown folks know what she's talking about, and they also have the wisdom to make the most out of those directions.
The other songs on Bark Then Bite, can't match the kind of metaphorical writing featured in tracks like "Who Invited You," or the playful boats and schoolyard taunts found on the quirky "Too Much Woman." Still, the best work on Bark Then Bite features a half dozen songs that invite themselves into your head and make you want to pull up a seat and ask them to stay for a while. Moderately recommended.
By Howard Dukes