Album of the Day — July 21
Kesha — High Road
Kesha — High Road
21.July.2020
Kesha
High Road
2020
Having no reference point for a Kesha album made listening to High Road both eye-opening and refreshing.
Except for two songs (“BFF” and “Cowboy Blues”) High Road embraces the old school pop music m.o. — brevity.
A tight well-crafted just over three-minute pop song is very welcomed. Especially if the songs cross-pollinate from rock to hip-hop to EDM to gospel and all points in between.
Kesha’s ability to harness the bevy of producers and musicians she did is a large part why the album is as effective as it is. What could be a directionless walkabout in the psyche of a talented artist is a delightful romp.
The Christian belief of predestination is a little wonky but as the daughter of songwriter Pebe Serbert — “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”, a hit in 1980 for Dolly Parton — her life may not have been preordained … but Kesha’s career path does seem like a natural fit.
That said, it seems unlikely that anyone would’ve predicted Kesha being one of the biggest selling artists in the new century. Including both physical sales and streaming, she has sold about 141 million albums and songs worldwide — an impressive amount regardless of the century.
Attempting to pin down a specific sound for Kesha, at least on High Road, is a bit problematic. Her sound is deeply rooted in pop, but on High Road what you hear are the sounds of her influences. Many of these songs either channel or have direct lines to her influences. A song like “Shadow” sounds like she’s channeling a combination of both Beck and Janet Jackson.
By her admission, Kesha’s influences are like a technicolor array of artists and include artists as diverse as:
Iggy Pop
Fugazi
Beastie Boys
Dolly Parton
Beck
Janet Jackson
AC/DC
I was unaware of some of these “personas” that Kesha seems to have embraced during her career. Some said that High Road is the amalgamation of these personas. Which seems to be the biggest ding the album seems to take from both fans and critics as they were hoping that post all the Dr. Luke business, she would return to this “party girl” persona.
The primary gripe against High Road seems to be an attempt at some kind of fake construction of a “new persona”.
Those eejits must not have been listening to the same album as I was. Who gives a shit about whatever “personae” she may or may not be presenting? It’s about the songs stupid.
And the songs are great.
People can get up their arses about what a person or artist should be or shouldn’t be. On High Road, it sounds like Kesha just wants to be.
While she sometimes gets painted into the “pop star” corner, she is much more than that. Kesha is both talented and adept enough that she can be whatever she wants to be … even a rock star. Alice Cooper noted: “This girl is not a pop diva. She’s a rock singer. She would much rather be the female Robert Plant than the next Britney Spears.”
She’s also received ringing endorsements from both Iggy Pop and The Flamin Lips.
Beware the critic, producer, or label executive who tries to paint Kesha into any kind of corner … as she points out in the albums first single “Raising Hell” a song featuring New Orleans rap artist Big Freedia:
Raising Hell
Hallelujah
I’m still here, still bringing it to ya
Ohm like Buddha
Good girls know how to get hard too, ya (uh huh)
I’m all fucked up in my Sunday best
No walk-of-shame ’cause I love this dress
Hungover, heart of gold, holy mess
Doin’ my best, bitch, I’m blessed
CHORUS
Oh, if you couldn’t tell
We can always find the trouble, we don’t need no help
Singing oh, mama raised me well
But I don’t wanna go to Heaven without raising hell
Get in
Get it
Drop it down low, hit it, hit the pole with it
Drop it down low, drop it down low
Drop, dr-drop it down low, drop it down low (get it)
Drop it, drop it, drop it, drop-drop-drop it down, down low
Bounce it up and down where the good Lord split it
Hands up, witness
Solo cup full of holy spirits
Something wicked (ooh)
Speaking in tongues in my blood-red lipstick
CHORUS x 1
Oh, if you couldn’t tell (oh well)
We can always find the trouble, we don’t need no help
Singing oh, mama raised me well (uh-huh)
But I don’t wanna go to Heaven without raising hell
Get it
Drop it down low, hit it, hit the pole with it
Drop it down low, drop it down low
Drop, dr-drop it down low, drop it down low (get it)
Drop it, drop it, drop it, drop-drop-drop it down, down low
Bounce it up and down where the good Lord split it
Ladies and gentlemen (oh shit)
Let’s shake what the good Lord gave us (oh yes, baby)
(Come on, let’s go)
Aw dang, this that shit (uh huh)
Beat like this, wanna shake my ooh
Oh dang, this that shit
Beat like this, wanna shake my ooh
Aw dang, this that shit
Beat like this, haters, suck my ooh
Woo, Lord, feeling it
Beat like this, make me feel that power
Oh, if you couldn’t tell
We can always find the trouble, we don’t need no help
Singing oh, mama raised me well
But I don’t wanna go to Heaven without raising hell
Can I get an amen? (Ha)
This is for the misfits of creation (ha)
Take this as your holy validation (let’s go now, come on)
You don’t need to hide your celebratin’
This is our salvation
AMEN TO THAT!
The single “Resentment” finds Kesha partnering with Sturgill Simpson and the legendary Brian Wilson (who she also cites as a major influence) while rounding out the collaboration is Wrabel (Stephen Wrabel).
On “Resentment” Kesha channels her inner Tammy Wynette as Sturgill Simpson channels his inner George Jones. Underneath it is Brian Wilson. But this isn’t a “Stand By Your Man” or “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” type of song.
This song is about that moment when our narrator has realized it won’t ever be nice and she can no longer stand by her man. It’s the moment of exasperation and exhaustion.
Resentment isn’t hate and it’s not indifference … it’s the acceptance that you can’t do it anymore and not knowing what to do about it. And, as our narrator points out, there’s nothing “worse than that.”
Resentment is the death knell for any relationship.
Resentment
I feel loved, darlin’ I feel used
Nobody makes me feel the way you do
And sometimes I, sometimes I, sometimes
I just can’t stand it
Isn’t that just the thing about us?
I’m still thinking you could be the one
But you’re always, you’re always, you’re always
Taking me for granted
I got something I gotta get off of my chest
I’ve been staying up while you’re sleeping in my bed
CHORUS
I don’t hate you, babe, it’s worse than that
’Cause you hurt me and I don’t react
I’ve building up this thing for months
Oh-oh-oh-oh, resentment
I know you better than you know yourself
And there’s a part of you that you won’t help
You say you can do it, just do it, just do it for my sake
It’s a shame knowing we could be good
That you could treat me better if you really wanted to
And if you can’t do it for my sake, then do it for our sake
CHORUS x 1
Don’t know how to leave or how to stay
So I’ve been talking to strangers
’Cause I can’t talk to you anymore that way
Did I let you down? ’Cause you let me down
But you would never say that I let you down
But you let me down, you let me down
CHORUS x 1
High Road has a total of eight producers, nine including Kesha as Executive Producer:
Jeff Bhasker — Kanye West, Bruno Mars
Stuart Crichton — Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue
John Hill — M.I.A., Mayer Hawthorne
Ryan Lewis — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Omega
Drew Pearson — Zach Brown Band, Michelle Branch
Louis Schoorl — 5 Seconds of Summer
Stint — Santigold, Train
That’s just a sampling of the artists that those producers have worked with. I have to imagine that corraling that many producers must be akin to cat wrangling. But it’s that diverse team of talent that broadens the canvas on which Kesha is allowed to create on.
For example, in the case of producer Stint, toggling between Santigold and Train says a lot about talent and ability … and both contribute to the diversity of music you hear on High Road … and it’s also one of the reasons the album sounds so good.
It’s a layered album deep with texture deliberately excluding audio bombast. The songs are bombastic, yes, but they don’t sound bombastic.
CRITICS:
Aimee Cliff in The Guardian said: “High Road is unmistakably the work of the same glitter-pop artist who tore up the charts in 2009, but with a new sense of underlying self-awareness …”
Nick Lowe at Cash said: “On ‘High Road’, she searches deep and emancipates the embodiment of sheer delight. Nothing about this record feels forced but instead encapsulates Kesha’s outlook on the crazy and weird rollercoaster that is life itself.”
Elly Watson wrote in DIY: “High Road is an overwhelmingly triumphant pop offering that sees Kesha back at her best and having shit tons of fun while doing it.”
American Songwriter called it “one of the best albums of 2020 so far.”
Several critics were less kind calling it “strained, scattershot, and loaded with tension.” Almost as though she was criticized for stepping outside of the “party girl” lane. Maybe High Road is Kesha straying from her lane … something tells me that she’s not an artist likely to have ever stay in her lane.
Being true to yourself is one of the hardest things to do as an artist. It’s almost always the right thing to do but doing the right thing is not always the easy thing, regardless of profession. That’s why they call it taking the high road.
High Road sounds like Kesha did exactly what she wanted to do and it points her in a direction that seems like it might mean she’ll continue taking the high road as an artist.