Macy Gray - The Queen of New Soul

It's precisely that strangled, sometimes muffled voice - the one she was mocked for every time she opened her mouth since childhood back in her native Ohio - that has made Macy Gray one of the most singular singers in American rhythm'n'blues today. Because the first thing that strikes you about Macy Gray is that highly distinctive, raspy voice, so strange that it was bound to draw attention, earning both scorn and acclaim. "When I was little," she recalls, "every time I spoke there was always someone who'd mimic me. So I stopped speaking in public unless it was absolutely necessary. I never, ever thought I'd become a singer one day."

What's certain, though, is that from a young age Macy Gray was always a huge fan of Black music. Her childhood idol is Prince. Then came the hip-hop stars, from LL Cool J to Run DMC, from the Beastie Boys to Public Enemy. But among her listening habits were also the artists from her parents' record collection: Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Sly & Family Stone. For several years her dream was to become a doctor, but when it came time to enroll in college she decided to try her hand at becoming a film producer and screenwriter instead. For this reason she moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at the USC Film School.

Her personal story is full of dark moments, from a suicide attempt during her school years to her hang-ups about being too thin, from her troubled voice to her tendency toward being a "pathological liar." Moments that would later be relived, and partly exorcised, in her songs.

In the Californian metropolis she began paying her dues in the music world. A group of friends invited her to write songs. One day, when it came time to record her lyrics onto a demo, the singer who was supposed to perform them didn't show up, so the songwriter herself stepped in to take her place. On that occasion she also recorded a cover of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child". The demo began circulating around Los Angeles, to the point that the leader of a jazz group playing the big hotel circuit asked Macy to join the band as female vocalist. But Gray hadn't yet gained confidence in her voice, that necessary trust between a singer and their instrument, or more simply, she couldn't shake memories of being mocked a few years earlier. What ultimately overcame her hesitation was mostly the $100 a day the jazz group offered her.

Meanwhile, having saved up some money, on August 28, 1998 Macy Gray managed to open a coffee shop in Hollywood, "We Hours", open on weekends from one to five in the morning, where she performed with her band. It was a tiny venue that could fill up with just the usual circle of friends. Yet thanks to Gray's performances, "We Hours" filled up every night and soon gained a reputation as one of the city's trendy clubs. Musicians who mattered began showing up: Roots, the producer behind Erykah Badu, and Tricky, who joined in on Macy and her band's jam sessions. The step toward a record deal wasn't long in coming, helped along by her connection with Andrew Slater, producer for Fiona Apple and the Wallflowers.

By the time she started seriously thinking about her debut record, in other words, Macy Gray had already gained a certain amount of notoriety. And yet, rather than seeking out big-name producers or famous musicians, she insisted on working only with the same friends who had stood by her at "We Hours" - especially the ones she felt most in tune with, like guitarists Arrik Marshall (formerly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Blackbird McKnight (Funkadelic).

Her 1999 debut is titled On How Life Is, an album in which she skillfully and deliberately blends contemporary funk, soul and hip-hop sounds with more "classic" ones, like swing. Every sound is there because it was consciously placed to serve a specific purpose. Macy Gray doesn't just captivate with her utterly distinctive singing, but also with her intense lyrics, devoted mainly to themes of friendship and interpersonal relationships. The darkest ghosts of her childhood are exorcised in a triumph of sound and feeling, of joy and happiness - so exhilarating it comes across as shamelessly sensual. Driven by two hits, "Do Something" and above all "I Try", the album becomes a massive worldwide success, reaching 7 million copies sold.

On the following The Id, that unbridled urge to say everything without holding back takes over completely. Right from the start, with a jarring flash of her own psychosis: "Count on a psychopath / your role model's in therapy..." are some of her lyrics. "Do you see me as a psychopath? I was one," she's said. "I was rushed to the hospital a couple of times. I'm prone to severe depression, so I just have my days, that's all. I keep meeting people who say they love me and look up to me. I say hello to them and then immediately go off to therapy. I wonder what they'd say if they knew what I'm really like."

Unable to rein in her own inventiveness, Gray tends to overreach and often falls into the trap of self-indulgence. The whole record is certainly admirable for its high-quality production, thanks in part to producer Roots and the guests involved, from John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Erykah Badu, who duets with her on the delicate "Sweet Baby" (the first successful single released from the album), to the fierce Angie Stone, featured on "My Nutmeg Phantasy". But the sheer number of references and nods to wildly different styles - funk, soul, disco, rock, rap - make the record feel schizophrenic, to the point where its real meaning gets lost. Still, creative and ironic exuberance, that sparkling and quirky verve, are not flaws one can really hold against Macy Gray. When those elements converge toward a single goal, as on her debut, they let us discover and appreciate one of the most singular Black voices and personalities of recent years.

The Trouble With Being Myself (2003), however, is something of a half-misstep. There's no shortage of catchy hooks, from the opening "When I See You" to "It Ain't The Money", enriched by a cameo from Beck. Too often, though, the album drowns in glossy pop banality, even if it's always arranged and performed with class. Even the ballads ("She Ain't Right For You", "Jesus For A Day") fail to leave a mark. So what saves the listener from yawning is, if anything, the soulful bite of "Jesus For A Day" and the fresh verve of "Happiness".

Macy Gray confirms herself as one of the finest voices around, but struggles to channel her drive into a musically cohesive project.

Four years later came Big (2007), the fruit of her partnership with Will.I.am of the Black Eyed Peas, born out of collaborations with other leading names such as Natalie Cole, Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Nas and Linda Perry. Twelve songs reflecting Macy's experiences over the preceding years: being left by her husband ("Finally Made Me Happy", "Shoo Be Doo", "Get Out"), her status as a single mom ("What I Gotta Do", "Okay"), memories of times gone by ("Ghetto Love", "Glad You're Here"), the hope of finding the right person ("One") and the chance to grow old with him ("Slowly").

There are also a couple of tracks in which Macy pokes fun at the anxieties of consumer society, like "Treat Me Like Your Money" and "Strange Behavior". Musically, the record ranges from soul roots to funk rhythms to a modern, danceable sound.

A neatly polished little treat, this Big - yet it leaves behind a cloying sense of predictability and "been there, done that". Macy Gray, in any case, keeps her head above water despite it all. She's increasingly in demand as a guest on hit productions and has also started a parallel career on both the small and big screen. Time will tell...

Contributions by Stefano Conti

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