Santigold: Master of My Make-Believe – review

In 2008, Santigold – then with an O instead of the I – grabbed attention with the skewed indie dream-pop of songs such as LES Artistes, Say Aha and Creator. At the time it felt offbeat and new, squashing genres together to exuberant effect. There's an argument to be made that, in the four years since, music has gone entirely mad, and the madness has gone mainstream, with everyone from Grimes to Nicki Minaj pursuing dogged eccentricity. The question is whether Santi White is still at the vanguard of this. To some extent, Master of My Make-Believe suggests she is. At its best, it's a surprisingly subtle record, checking off military drums, reggae beats and driving pop, the quality of which creeps in after repeated listens – GO!, featuring Karen O, and Disparate Youth, in particular, get stronger every time. But there's a subdued, mid-paced feel to it, too, and this sense of somehow sad restraint holds it back from greatness.