Junkie Jones

Anyone who starts out her CD with the kind of trash talking Esthero does better bring it on strong. And this apparently fearless chick does just that.

To quote the first words out of her mouth: “I’m so sick and tired of the sh*t on the radio/and MTV they only play the same thing/no matter where I go/I see Ashanti in the video/I want something more …”

And something more is nothing less than revolutionary, according to “We R In Need of A Musical Revolution.” What follows is 16 more songs encompassing rock, trip-hop, hip-hop, melody and even more mouthing off. This is one wikked lil grrrl.

Speaking of “Wikked Lil Grrrls” - this is time-traveling tune has me picturing a 1920’s flapper carrying a pair a brass knuckles instead of a fringed purse. Esthero has a hand in writing all these tunes and her long-held reputation as a sweet-faced, hard-assed musical wonder is well deserved.

I can’t take the space here to list out all the musicians (famous and not-so) who’ve lent a hand to this CD either physically or spiritually. Esthero seems to know everyone in the biz and her list of props reads like a Who’s Who of modern music.

One thing I feel from this CD is a rift between a polished, professional artist and a hell-bent girl who will sing it no matter how crass and maybe even a bit immature it may sound. I don’t know if Esthero feels a conflict inside. I hope not. I hope she’s an artist who is willing to allow herself to become and perform what’s real with her world as it’s happening. We’re lucky she’s willing to share.

Whether we’ll get to hear Esthero’s musical revolution on the radio remains to be seen. The parental advisory is not kidding. A few of her tunes will have to be shot full of blanks to get by the cranks at the FCC. Otherwise, this CD should be available everywhere real music can be found.

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