Album Review: Jinkx Monsoon – The Inevitable Album
2 min read
The Inevitable Album is the debut release from Jerick Hoffer, who is perhaps better known as his RuPaul’s-Drag-Race-winning alter-ego Jinkx Monsoon. The 15 track collection is a promising introduction to the fascinating and undeniably talented singer, showing off some impressive and versatile vocals in the jazzy, pop album.
Beginning with Ladies in Drag with a foreword by Fred Schneider (B-52’s), Jinkx makes a strong first impression as she toasts fellow ladies in drag in the smooth, tongue-in-cheek cabaret tune. The next track sees the pace speed up a bit with No One as Sorry as Me, a vintage sounding, high energy performance which as Jinkx backed up by some impressive instrumental displays.
The album’s first single Coffee & Wine is up next, and is a good choice as the lead single as it is a good summation of the album as a whole. The sexy, smooth, passionate and catchy performance epitomises The Inevitable Album as one of the more entertaining releases of the year so far.
As we approach the middle of the album, Everybody’s Girl steals the spotlight with its Latino-influenced cabaret style. Jinkx pours lots of energy into the tune which weaves between slow to fast tempos and keeps the listener hooked the whole way through.
As the album starts to close, Jinkx treats us to a unique and fresh rendition of Radiohead’s Creep. Jinkx’s version is faster and more up-beat than the original, thanks mostly to the jazzy instrumental background that supports her powerful vocals.
The Inevitable Album closes with another cover, this time of the classic ballad Falling In Love Again. Jinkx does a wonderful job with this one too, allowing her personal style to shine through in the charming performance. Jinkx cites stars such as Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline as her influences, and it is clearly evident in the way she performs that these ladies have inspired her greatly.
Jinkx has described the album as “a cohesive mixture of classic and contemporary”, and it’s hard to disagree with that. The Inevitable Album frames Jinkx as a classy, elegant musician who can easily captivate a room and impress all kinds of music fans. Her debut album is very refined and mature for a first attempt and consists of the vocal control and musical quality of someone who has been around for decades. Monsoon clearly understands the importance of first impressions and has made a great one with The Inevitable Album.
