MACY GRAY'S husky, soulful voice is a sound that you either love or hate, there are no two ways about it. Critics might compare her to a chain-smoking chicken on helium, but fans such as myself have enjoyed her chilling music since she burst on the scene two years ago with her brilliant debut album On How Life Is.
Her follow-up album in 2001 - The Id - just didn't hit the spot, but she makes up for her disappointing second album with an excellent third, The Trouble With Being Myself. This album is more soulful than her earlier recordings, but she retains the cookiness that has become her trademark. Her songs are filled with odd characters in even odder situations.
The scary hairstyle she's flaunting on the album cover (right) makes clear that Gray is just as messed up as ever. And, as the title promises, she takes us on a journey through her wacky life: sex, death and relationships. The album kicks off with the funky When I see You, but the standout track has got to be She Ain't Right For You - which is one of those tunes that is hard to get out of your head.
