★ ★ ★ 1/2 out of 5
While many will be quick to criticize RuPaul's Drag Race season six runner-up Courtney Act for her off-putting comments during her fishy and fashion forward run on the reality competition show, they will also forget the drag entertainer had already graced the stage of Australian Idol and with Lady Gaga before she even stepped into LOGO TV's bright pink workroom.
Following in the footsteps of former competitor turned best friend Adore Delano, Act has decided to show off her mesmerizing vocal talents with the release of Kaleidoscope, her debut extended play funded by supporters through her successful Kickstarter campaign. With the help of Jake Shears and Sam Sparro, the six-track effort weaves through pop and dance influences with just a dash of evident Kylie Minogue inspiration.
Preceded by singles "Ecstasy" and "Ugly", the EP highlights Act's intriguing vocals as they are supported by layered dance-leaning production that takes the listener back to the 90s, when simple beats and breathy, seductive performances ruled the dance floor. While short and not entirely perfected, the artist's new project will help to shed her mean girl past as she looks forward to a potential bright music career.
The EP's title track introduces the collection of songs with a colorful bang. "Kaleidoscope", produced by Sam Sparro, is a glittery pop affair where Act dreams of millions of people becoming one in this life. "Vivid, cosmic distillations, saturate my mind, ambiguous hallucinations in and out of time," she delicately sings before a pulsating beat comes through to transport the listener into a technicolor world of peace and acceptance.
"Ecstasy" is a thumping dance track inspired by a crazy, euphoric adventure with a friend at Burning Man, written and produced with L.A. team The Prodigal. With a distinct pop beat, an infectious chorus and an impressive vocal performance from Act, the new single is definitely one of the better releases from a Drag Race contestant. It was a strong, speaker-pumping introduction to Act's new career as a respectable pop artist and still holds up.
Act has been successful with comedy tunes and "pop" songs, but her vulnerable performance on "Ugly" is the moment we've waited for. The touching ballad, inspired by an argument with an ex-boyfriend, is a shining moment on the EP. Instead of dealing with what was happening in real life, Act chose to escape through the world of social media. “I’ll let you see the good if you know me, I’ll show you all the bad if you love me, oh but only I know the ugly,” she beautifully sings.
It's strange and unfortunate to learn that both Sam Sparro and Jake Shears co-wrote "Body Parts" because in the end, while a decent pop track, it falls flat and becomes the first miss for the EP. With a telephone call intro that's already been done on a Scissor Sisters' track, the sexual and imaginative bedroom jam seems to be missing a personality. Act's vocals are flawless, but the songwriting and production don't mix well on the finished product.
"Boys Like Me", so named after Act's own solo show, picks up the energy and pace that was lost on the preceding track, for a thrilling tale of the artist's seductive nature and naughty sexscapades. Act needs no basic toys to get herself off, she has every type of man salivating at the chance to get her in bed. All of the elements of the infectious number come together perfectly to create a hot and sizzling track that the likes of Britney and Rihanna wish they could record.
The effort closes out with "Inhale" (but where is "The Power Of Us"?), a slow and slightly uninspiring track that comes off as a spoken word/pop hybrid that sounds like it never truly found out what it wanted to become. Again, Act takes the material at hand and makes it work to an extent with an interesting vocal delivery, but it's not enough. "Iridescent eyes, luring me with your dark brown hair, had a momentary lapse," she sings.
Kaleidoscope is an interesting project to formally review. Drag Race superstar Courtney Act definitely shows passion for the music she's presenting on the new extended play, and most of it successfully comes off as polished, enjoyable dance/pop tunes that highlight the fact that she is fully capable of hitting amazing high notes and crafting a killer, dance floor-ready hook. However, by being a short, six-track effort instead of a full length album, all the slight missteps are magnified and picked apart. While two of the tracks can be considered boring filler, the rest of the track list shows glimpses at what Act could accomplish with more time and more material. Kylie Minogue is her inspiration, that shows, but next time the artist needs to show more of who she is... an original, talented performer.
Tracks to Hear: "Kaleidoscope", "Ecstasy", "Ugly" and "Boys Like Me"
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