Recruiting Kravitz was a definite plus. The production on the album is crisp, and many of the tunes grab your attention and hold it for the duration of the song. The light mandolin and hard drums of "Miss Moon" are extremely catchy. The melodic beginning of "Fall" is both mellow and foreboding, until it explodes with rage midway through the song.
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This is evident on the introspective "Deliciously Down," which is obviously the best song on the album. "Angry Boy" moves well, and Kravitz even lends his own voice to the sultry "Mean Sleep." Summer is vocally at her best when singing the folk-influenced "Naheo."
Songwriting is usually the key that separates the good albums from the great ones, and this is the case with "Street Faerie." Summer's cryptic songwriting may give many listeners headaches trying to figure out what the heck she's singing about, and the lyrics being printed in the CD booklet only further confuse things. You know she's talking about something deep and profound, like on the abortion-themed "Still Heart," but you just can't decode all of her riddles. Also, Kravitz's production misses the mark on the awkward but well meaning "Curious White Boy," "Life Goes On" sounds rushed, and "Soul Sister" is flat out boring.
Although the album may leave you scratching your head at times, it is a solid first effort for the former TV actress. With "Street Faerie," Cree Summer gives a preview of what could be a promising music career, which is much more than most other actor-turned-musicians can say.
04-20-99
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