The writing was on the wall for a while before it happened, but the officially announced breakup of Afrofuturist duo THEESatisfaction set Catherine "SassyBlack" Harris-White free to fully explore her solo inclinations. If No More Weak Dates, her first full-length effort, is any indication, she is going to be perfectly fine.
Her voice is confident and soulful here as she delivers a steady onslaught of honest and provocative lyrics, ranging from lovelorn lemonades tackling the complex world of the queer dating scene to a playful ballad about dressing like a Klingon for the Pacific Northwest's premiere comic book and pop culture convention, Emerald City Comicon. She is acutely aware of the impact of her words, changing the title track from "No More Lame Dates" to "No More Weak Dates" after receiving word that the term "lame" was considered a slur by the disabled community, and that mindfulness is obvious in the emotion that drips from every lyric.
The beats showcase a consistently sparse electronic style, bringing to mind the solo aesthetic of Antipop Consortium's Beans if it was tempered by a psychedelic Georgia Anne Muldrow vibe. Granted, the minimal production can get just a little monotonous over the course of a full album, but the seeds of profound greatness are sown throughout No More Weak Dates.
(Independent)Her voice is confident and soulful here as she delivers a steady onslaught of honest and provocative lyrics, ranging from lovelorn lemonades tackling the complex world of the queer dating scene to a playful ballad about dressing like a Klingon for the Pacific Northwest's premiere comic book and pop culture convention, Emerald City Comicon. She is acutely aware of the impact of her words, changing the title track from "No More Lame Dates" to "No More Weak Dates" after receiving word that the term "lame" was considered a slur by the disabled community, and that mindfulness is obvious in the emotion that drips from every lyric.
The beats showcase a consistently sparse electronic style, bringing to mind the solo aesthetic of Antipop Consortium's Beans if it was tempered by a psychedelic Georgia Anne Muldrow vibe. Granted, the minimal production can get just a little monotonous over the course of a full album, but the seeds of profound greatness are sown throughout No More Weak Dates.