The Northern Light

Lady Sovereign is putting out a public warning. Although she is releasing an album, she states €" just as Genesis did €" that she can't dance, and she really can't sing. Her sound is reminiscent of a hyperactive squirrel on Red Bull with a runny nose from all the Pixy Stix it sniffed. The album is rife with overproduction, witty put-downs and rapid-fire Brit-pop rhymes. If that's your thing, I urge you to get right on "Public Warning." Otherwise, stay clear.

Calling herself "the biggest midget in the game," Lady Sovereign is the most unlikely of rappers €" a young, white, thick-accented, British girl who raps over dirty electronic beats. With Jay-Z's (now questionable) Def Jam seal of approval, Lady Sovereign comes up short and full blast with her debut record, "Public Warning." She ranges from loud and obnoxious, to amusing and obnoxious but still loud."9 to 5" is a party song that sounds like one of Eminem's first singles ("My Name Is," "The Real Slim Shady," etc.), and is about nothing at all. "Blah Blah" and "A Little Bit of Shhh" pay homage to the British grime sound, and they are about absolutely nothing. The title track - is about absolutely nothing. And so follows the rest of the album. The only track that does not fall into the category of obnoxious and pointless bullshit is "Those Were the Days." With mildly toned-down production and a theme pushing the song, Sovereign tells about how she grew up. But it's odd that she'd make an ode to growing up on her debut album when she's only 20 years old. Unfortunately, this song feels out of place among all the synth-pop and British club songs. Lady Sovereign just can't win."Public Warning" fails on most fronts. It does manage to have fun, though. Lady Sovereign does not take herself seriously. She is not trying to deliver any sort of heavy-handed messages, and she does not show a hint of shame for anything she does on this record.Looking at the album under the best light, it's clear Lady Sovereign can rap. Punch lines, multis, flow €" Sovereign does it all to the standards set on our side of the Atlantic. She can even be funny sometimes. Though obnoxious, all of the beats are bass-heavy and danceable.

However, even as a dance record, "Public Warning" fails. After two or three tracks, the production is unbearable. Lady Sovereign has a bad habit of doubling up her already high-pitched voice to create an annoying robotic squeal that causes listeners' ears to bleed profusely. "Public Warning" is what you would expect from a hip-hop dance record done by the Spice Girls. You might like a song or two the first time you hear them. You might even buy the album. But the best that it will ever be is a guilty pleasure, tucked in your closet next to "Spice World" and "The 98 Degrees Collection."

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