Kelly Castle Scott
Terra Galactica
Out now
Kelly Castle Scott comes from another planet. Terra Galactica, the newest release from the Seattle ambient-hip-hop-electrol-soul songstress, features bounces, bops and a feeling of weightlessness that’s sure to leave everyone from Lana Del Rey to Ke$ha taking notes.
Why? Because there’s attitude. There’s heart. And there’s a sense of rebellion and angst that doesn’t involve record labels, radio stations or producers with an ear for fixing pitch. “Pre-Nup to Hectic” incorporates smooth, fluid vocals over a hip-hop beat and a jazz backbone. Scott’s voice slices crisp while a trumpet aches in the background, creating the perfect soundtrack to getting lost on a drive to anywhere.
Likewise, “Jesus and Buddha” maintains the same quick tempo, upbeat ‘90s-style hip-hop before switching herself into a freestyle rap. It’s a melting pot of music, rooted in poetry, rhyme and witty quips. But more than anything, Scott has presented herself as a powerful woman whose looking to pour her soul out — regardless of how it sounds or what you think. Terra Galactica plays like a therapeutic release meant to hopefully ease the listener much as it eased her. It works.