Joy Denalane's New Album

I can't front. I can't read German. But when I got this Joy Denalane update I got hella excited. Only I couldn't read it. What I did comprehend from the picture on her facebook page is that "Neimand (Was Wir Nicht Tun)" is the first single from her new album (die erste single aus dem neuen album Maureen) haha. The album is entitled Maureen. It comes out May 20, 2011. Voila! Oh wait, that's French.

I'll tell you what I do know. Joy Denalane has collaborated with Raekwon on "Heaven or Hell" and Lupe Fiasco on "Change" off of her last English album Born and Raised in 2006. She's been performing here and there, had an appearance on a compilation CD, but mostly took a bit of a hiatus, and now she is back with a German album. She greets her fans above in a language that I neither know or understand (I can make out that her new single is online at www.joydenalane.com). But I do know this. I will listen to her album in whatever language it is in. She just has an aura, she just gives me this feeling. It's like, with her last album, the video's, I felt like I lived overseas. I felt like I took a trip back in time. To a time in which I have never lived, hearing stories that I sympathize with, then fall in love with, bordering on disdain but wanting to be (Heaven or Hell watch it!). Why? Because she makes anguish look good. With a horn section. Spilling soul enviable. In a protagonist type of way. I root for her. Lykke Li praises sadness, like it's good. Something like that. That's not even the overall vibe, it's just the only way I can explain the rumbling, the activism, the angst in her voice. Phew. Looking forward to it. --GB

Here are some lyrics from the first single Niemand (Was Wir Nicht Tun). Trust me I did the whole online translation thing. I'd post it only it wasn't grammatically correct and made no sense. If you can understand German, kudos. Share the wealth. It's caring.--GB

"Kann Zeit aus Geld gemacht sein
Und wir uns Zeit erkaufen
Können wir weiter rückwärts denken
Und dabei vorwärts laufen

Können wir Liebe predigen
Wenn uns der Glaube teilt
Können wir noch einen Feldzug führen
Und meinen, dass er uns eint"