From Bambaataa-worthy bodyrocking b-boy shit (“La Nueva Condena”) and solemn, boot-stomping underground assaults (“Sube” featuring fellow femcee Invincible) to heavy-hitting headnodders (“Obstáculo”) and even dub (“Avaricia”), the sheer variety of sounds and styles on the album demands some serious vocal and verbal versatility. Tijoux’s the rare raptress that’s up for the challenge.
She easily marries the tone of her voice with the vibe of the beat — check her soft, sensual whispers over the slow sway of “Problema de 2,” her tomboyish spitfire Spanish on the bouncy “Partir de Cero,” or her tough but playful slick talk on “La Nueva Condena.” Leave your Spanish-English dictionary at home: you’ll be satisfied simply by how her rhymes ride the rhythms. With a flow this nice, you can safely assume that whatever she’s saying has just as much substance as it does style.
Title track “1977” is the biography of a b-girl, while “Humanidad” is an introspective reflection on life and mortality; on “Crisis de Un MC” she struggles to find the words to speak her soul to the world, and “Obstaculo” finds her motivating herself (and others) to blast through barriers. The girl’s got something to say, and her flow is the fine-tuned, smooth-riding vehicle that drives her point home.
But in the wake of weak production, Tijoux’s rap lacks its usual impact. Half way through, 1977 starts to sag, getting stuck in a sandpit of bland, barely memorable midtempos (“Mar Adentro,” “Oulala”) that don’t have the creativity or originality of most other songs. She quickly turns things around with “Pie Izquierdo” and “Crises de Un MC Remix,” tracks that capture the abstract jazziness of early and mid-90s boom-bap rap and give her a proper platform to flex her chops, sound off, and prove herself worthy to help lead a new breed of lady lyricists.
Where the ladies at? Ms. Tijoux has the answer: 1977 says, in so many words and languages, “Estamos aqui.” On the cover, she sits gripping a mic, her silouhette both hidden in the dark and exposed to some shine. And indeed, Ana sounds poised to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
published on Okayplayer.com