On her full-length debut
Sound of a Woman,
Kiesza capitalizes on the success of her '90s dance-reviving hit "Hideaway" and moves beyond it at the same time. Savvily, the album begins with the single that started it all, and what a track it is: a sleek, sexy nod to '90s house, "Hideaway" remains catchy enough to be played on Top 40 radio without compromising any of its danceability. One of 2014's finest dance-pop tracks, "Hideaway" may still be
Sound of a Woman's brightest highlight, but the album's other peaks could've been hits for Black Box or
CeCe Peniston back in the day. On tracks like "No Enemiesz," "Giant in My Heart," "Over Myself," and "The Love,"
Kiesza and producers
Rami Samir Afuni and Simen & Epsen revitalize the stark beats, pulsing keyboards, and soaring vocals that defined '90s dance with zero irony and lots of energy. The Hideaway EP already suggested that
Kiesza was broadening her horizons, a brave move for a new artist so closely associated with a particular sound. Then again, she began her career singing folky material, so she's already proven she's unafraid of change. She gives her '90s fondness a hip-hop bent with "Losin' My Mind," a low-slung track featuring
Mick Jenkins and a gritty beat, and "Bad Thing," a collaboration with rapper
Joey Bada$$. Elsewhere, she tackles ballads like the title track and the delicate cover of
Haddaway's booming hit "What Is Love?" At its best,
Sound of a Woman is a potent reminder of how much fun this sound was -- and is. ~ Heather Phares