In a previous incarnation SELF ESTEEM, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, was one half of indie/alt folk duo Slow Club. Since the band split in 2017, Taylor has written and recorded under the moniker of SELF ESTEEM. Over the last year or so she has released a series of perfect pop singles, culminating a couple of weeks ago in her second solo album, Prioritise Pleasure. Since it’s release it has rarely been far away from my turntable. I’ve been prioritising my listening pleasure, alternating between this and the new Broken Chanter album, Catastrophe Hits.
Absolute Triumph
Prioritise Pleasure is an absolute triumph from so many perspectives. This album takes girl power and ramps it up to the ‘nth degree. Blistering experimental pop tunes soundtrack lyrics brimming with attitude. There is no hiding a sneering disdain for anyone who disrespects women in any way. Mix that level of rightful contempt with some dark humour and an enviable degree of positivity and an air of self confidence that is perhaps sometimes worn as a mask of protection, and you have a blueprint for vividly sparkling, sharply observed epic pop tunes with a penchant for sticking two fingers up to all the fuckers who’ll try to bring you down.
While this album feels like a form of catharsis for Rebecca, laying her soul bare for all to see, it doesn’t feel like an intrusion. It is more like a confidence boost for anyone who has experienced what she has, a powerful voice for those who don’t have one, or can’t find theirs.
While this is obviously an album written from the perspective of a female who has experienced negativity and abuse in her life, the messages are clear for anyone. Be who you are. Don’t let anyone else try to change you. Don’t let the bastards grind you down and don’t take any shit from anyone. Perhaps most importantly, as the album title suggests, you only have one life so make the most of it. Prioritise Pleasure, and don’t live to regret what you haven’t done.
How Can I Help You?
In many ways the album is like a modern day self-help guide. Although the songs reflect some of her less than pleasant experiences in her life, the way she deals with them lyrically with an assured equanimity and an avowal that shows a gritty determination not to be fucked over by anyone again is not only impressively provocative but quite simply motivational.
Lyrically, the album alternates between fairly dark moments, using a dark humour (“Sexting you at the mental health talk seems counter productive” – Moody) based on negative personal experiences to make some vitally important points (“to even get near to me was some fucking wizardry” – Fucking Wizardry), to the the exhilaratingly inspirational, with words that resonate and serve as a launch pad to lift the spirits of the most downhearted of listeners.
Using samples of quotes adds to the immersive experience, wholly illustrating the point of the songs in which they appear – parents of young boys, listen to I’m Fine and make sure you raise your sons to respect women. Elsewhere, if you are ever faced with self doubt and you need a lift, there is the inspirational boost of The 345: “I just want to let you know there’s a point in you, and I know you find it harder than your peers do” or the refreshingly honest anxiety drenched “I Do This All the Time” warning against comparing yourself to others and relaying negative personal experiences including unwanted uninvited body image comments “you’re a good girl, you’re a good tall girl, you’re a good sturdy girl”.
Vibrant Reverberating Electro Rhythms
Musically, crystal clear vocals top vibrant reverberating electro rhythms, take the albums title track for example. There are a wealth of thunderous beats and ridiculously addictive rhythmic percussion, on the likes of How Can I Help You? amongst others. From the resounding beats to the gentle and sympathetic, mellifluous multi-layered vocal refrains that sound like choirs of angels singing (I Do This All The Time) and multiple infectious tunes to get you moving including the incessant rhythm of Moody taking handclaps in overdrive.
Prioritise Pleasure is a collection of songs that can change your mood, raising you from the doldrums and giving you the confidence and bravado to face whatever shite the world decides to throw at you today. There couldn’t really be a more perfect set of songs on an album from an artist going by the name of Self Esteem.
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