Rating: NNN
It’s been two years since Cape Breton’s Kay Boutilion burst forth with her giant hair bows and rap single My Name Is Kay. The title track is the most hip-hop her long-time-coming debut full-length gets, however. The rest is much more dancey, full of progressive house beats, catchy girl/boy-group hooks (Bus Stop) and late-90s-Robyn/early-00s-Kylie-esque dance pop (Alive).
Strangers, first released in 2012, boasts the sole rap feature – Kay turns former cocaine dealer Pusha T into a Nelly-like teddy. His appearance here is impeccably timed, seeing as Pusha’s recent My Name Is My Name album has made him the rapper du jour.
Immediately likeable, MNIK doesn’t necessarily gain greater meaning or complexity from repeat listens. That doesn’t mean you won’t play it again and again, though. It’s a pop album with no glaring duds – just a 40-minute honest-to-goodness dance party.
Top track: Bus Stop
