It's almost been three years since Merrill Garbus released her sophomore
album w h o k i l l under the pseudonym tUnE-yArDs. The album which was
an alternative highlight of 2011, still gets regular plays in my library - and
many others due to its timeless potential class. "Bizness" had the
single in the bag, while tracks like "Gangsta" and "Powa"
offered that extra loop of percussion to keep the audience thrilled throughout.
Well Garbus is back with her third album Nikki Nack, and its set to be
just as meaningful and timeless as its predecessor. tUnE-yArDs has already
released "Water Fountain", and now it's time for "Wait for a
Minute".
"Wait for a Minute" brings together the sounds of Nikki Nack's
pre-release single "Water Fountain", and the layers of w h o k i l
l. Though song structure and instrumental building is Garbus' strong point,
"Wait for a Minute" is all about her vocals and its progression from
the beginning right through to the end. There's little room for the percussions
to build as Garbus so easily takes centre stage: "I pinch my skin
till I see the joints." The bass line, put with a striking
right-sided synth creates an atmosphere not quite heard from Garbus yet - and
though the percussion is mostly minimal at first, it does build, as Garbus'
vocal does: "The pain is in the empty time, just twiddling my thumbs
and hoping for the words to rhyme." It's different to what you've
previously experienced with w h o k i l l, but "Wait for a Minute"
and "Water Fountain" should give you an in depth listen to what to
expect from Nikki Nack - a cooled down Garbus, more soulful, and more song
oriented.
~Eddie Gibson