audio review : Blonde ( album ) … Frank Ocean

audio review : Blonde ( album ) ... Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean is sort of annoying. It’s not so much how he sounds; though the Chipmunk voice effect he occasionally uses is silly; it’s more the juvenile things he sometimes says. An early interlude suggests he gets it from his Mom. “Don’t try to be someone else,” she commands via phone, “Be yourself and know that that’s good enough.” Generic advice like that is as useless as hot air on a summer day. What’s wrong with trying to be better than good enough? At one point, her son mentions Michael Jackson. If he tried to be (like) him, he’d be diversifying his voice by using it for more than just the whiny crooning he does on these songs.

But that’s not fair. There’s nothing wrong with a one-trick pony if the trick is good “enough”. And when it comes to whiny crooning, Frank Ocean is a talent. It’s specifically his melodic compositions that impress. A lot of people can sing well. Far fewer have the ability to compose vocal melodies people want to hear. He’s having a hard time evolving those melodies into full songs though. His previous album, Channel Orange, is better than this one. That’s not just because of the vocals but also the music. Lacking are pulsating thumpers like Thinkin Bout You and Pink Matter. Andre 3000 is back, but this time he’s rapping to a drumless piano riff.

my rating : 3 of 5

2016

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