Returning to
pop after a four-year hiatus,
Madonna enlisted respected
techno producer
William Orbit as her collaborator for
Ray of Light, a self-conscious effort to stay abreast of contemporary trends. Unlike other veteran artists who attempted to come to terms with
electronica,
Madonna was always a
dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics, and blunted
trip-hop beats. Still, it's mildly surprising that it works as well as it does, largely due to
Madonna and
Orbit's subtle attack. They've reined in the beats, tamed
electronica's eccentricities, and retained her flair for
pop melodies, creating the first mainstream
pop album that successfully embraces
techno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since the textures are alluring and the songs have a strong melodic foundation, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener,
"Substitute for Love," or the
ballad "Frozen." For all of its attributes, there's a certain distance to
Ray of Light, born of the carefully constructed productions and
Madonna's newly mannered, technically precise singing. It all results in her most mature and restrained album, which is an easy achievement to admire, yet not necessarily an easy one to love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine