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08. Dessa – Parts of Speech





I’ve been a huge advocate of Dessa’s music for a long time now. Best female rapper there is, period. Her technical ability is obvious, and her ability to tell literary narratives in rap verse has few peers, male or female. She also is an accomplished singer. It’s that side of Dessa that shines on this album. There’s only two, maybe three, out-and-out rap tracks on this new album. Instead, Dessa and her band record delicate ballads and slow narratives and even a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s oft-forgotten “I’m Going Down.” “Call Off Your Ghost,” and “Sound the Bells” exemplify this album’s tendency to put down layers of haunting vocals from Dessa and backup singer/Minneapolis superstar Aby Wolf to support the words. “Skeleton Key” shows that Dessa has an ear for a catchy pop hook. “Warsaw” and “Fighting Fish” prove that she hasn’t lost a step when it comes to rapping, absolutely killing a Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak beats, respectively. If you already know Dessa then you’ll like her new album. If you don’t know Dessa, well, that’s what this list is for.