Skin, Fleshwounds
Distinctive voice, feisty attitude, looks to kill – female lead singers need a little bit of each to succeed in rock music still largely dominated by men. Deborah Anne Dyer, better known as Skin from Skunk Anansie, has all three qualities in abundance. Despite a few successful singles during the nineties it was Skin’s shaven head, bisexuality and outspoken political views that got Skunk Anansie most attention; Skin’s voice remained vastly unappreciated. Since then she’s has avoided controversial outbursts, grown her hair, featured on an Ed Case single ("Good Times") and made an album (Fleshwounds) in which her voice now takes centre stage.
Though most of the tracks are comparable with Skunk Anansie’s best material, Fleshwounds lacks some of the force and grit which being part of a rock band brought her. It sounds more slickly produced, people can no longer accuse her of shouting lyrics and making noise. Her voice is less raw, but still emotionally loaded and distinctively edgy. Whereas before Skin sounded bitter, angry and violent, now she may still be hurting but is subdued, on the verge of tears perhaps, giving a sense of resignation on slow burning tracks like "As Long as That’s True".
As a vocal exposition Fleshwounds shows off Skin’s range and versatility and at times her soul. The radio friendly first single, "Trashed", and the album opener, "Faithfulness", are far more Bond Theme and far less vulnerable and melancholy than the album’s later tracks. However, Bond Theme’s are a good analogy, so often they are dark and mysterious, about love and danger. Fleshwounds definitely has this tone, but more importantly it is carried off by a distinctive and emotive voice which can be strong and powerful and, at its best, sends shivers down your spine.
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