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Written by Kate Nelson Wednesday, 06 May 2009 14:28

Sadly, Jigsaw is riddled with repetition that brings you close to the point of insanity.

Summer is upon us. And because last summer was so awesome, this one must top it. Therefore what I must do first—before thinking about vacation plans, swimsuits and tans—is find the soundtrack to kick my summer off right. So naturally when I come across an email about Lady Sovereign's new album, I had to have a listen. The first few songs, including the two singles "So Human" and "I've Got You Dancing," are fun to listen to once or twice; the rest of the album is a bit of a letdown.

At first listen I am instantly reminded of MIA; almost too much so. But I let it go since I like the British-meets-American-style feel. Kicking off the album is a song titled "Let's Be Mates," which you could go ahead and skip. The constant repetition and less-than-original beats—on top of the fact that you can't quite understand anything she says but the line "I'm weird and you're weird/ Let's be mates"—isn't worth your "weird" time. Next up is "So Human," the second single. Sampling recognizable beats is the only thing fun about this song...which, I think, is a problem today, since artists are creating "hits" from sampling older songs that are way better than the songs they are sampled into. The title track here is the only song on the album that I really like. The refrain, "My heart is like a jigsaw puzzle/ Pick it up and fix it for me" is the most heartfelt lyrics throughout the whole album; here and here alone, the emotions portrayed in this song are relatable.

The first single "I've Got You Dancing" is the one track I didn't like at first, but it started to grow on me. The mix of beats is woven together in a way that works. The lyrics have a bit of the same problem the rest of the album has: you can't quite understand most of them. That aside, I think it is an upbeat and fun song. It is perhaps one of the two tracks by Lady Sovereign I will throw on a "(insert ridiculous mix name) summer playlist" on my iPod.

Sadly, Jigsaw is riddled with repetition that brings you close to the point of insanity, and beats that are either recycled or so generic they shouldn't be recycled. Despite the fact that Lady Sovereign is a bit of an acquired taste, the amount of times it takes to acquire the taste will most certainly make you hate the album. Recommended for those who either like Lady Sovereign already or those who don't know what good hip-hop actually sounds like. D | Kate Nelson

RIYL: MIA, Lady Gaga, Hyper Crush