Sami Wolf
See You On the Moon
(self-released)

Chicago-based Sami Wolf proudly declares her status: “I don’t think there’s been another Jewish-addict-lesbian rapper, so I’m trying to be the first to arrive at that party.” And arrive she does here with See You On the Moon. “Mother,” the opener, is a tight guitar electric roll with Wolf using her slight growl. She quickly switches things up with the floaty piano ballad “You Make Me Smile.” Only two songs in and I was surprised I wasn’t just going to be treated to simple angst-for-angst-sake warbling. The lyrical imagery, the synth strings, Wolf’s soft vocal delivery – it’s not often I am surprised, and here I was pleasantly so with the potential of what this woman could bring me with the rest of this album. “Driving 90″ starts with a trebley acoustic (and those mournful synth strings again), but quickly a shunky drum machine beat slips in and Wolf gets to rapping. Again, another different type of tune than what went before it. Keep bringing it, girl! “Heart in Tennessee” is the stand-out track on a record full of really good songs. We get a softer, almost whispered vocal from Wolf, floating soft piano arpeggios and low, mournful strings…at least in the beginning. The rap that comes in is necessary as Wolf is a rapper, I guess (I can’t lay so much of my “keep it a ballad, please!” sensibilities on to this younger generation’s art), making this song a full presentation of what the woman does the best on See You On the Moon. With it’s laid back beat, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” ends.

You can listen to the album here.