Stubborn, the debut album from ElodieO, is defined by both its abundance and lack of ideas. When the New York-via-Paris singer and composer wants to, she smoothly tosses off chic electro-lounge pop that organically flits from one muse to another in an exhilarating fashion. Unfortunately, she also has frustrating penchant for repetition.
During its early moments, Stubborn finds the singer at her most restless, jumping around from French bossa nova to ’90s trip hop, to club disco, electronic bleats and dub with carefree ease. It’s thrilling material that overflows with catchy melodies despite its ever-shifting nature. Then “Crazy” begins, and Stuborn’s momentum grinds to a halt. For a seemingly interminable five minutes, ElodieO repeats the same two-line verse and one-line chorus ad nauseum.
The album never quite recovers from this ear-gougingly dull moment. A few songs recall the playful experimentation witnessed early on, but too many follow the monotonous, purposeless formula of “Crazy.” If ElodieO had done a better job spreading her ideas around, Stubborn could have been a great album instead of a few great songs surrounded by a lot of filler.
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