THE EVOLUTION OF ROBIN THICKE ~ Robin Thicke
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this album was a long time coming.
Robin Thickes debut album “A Beautiful World”, released in 2003, is one of my absolute all-time favourite albums. As such, my expectations for his follow-up “The Evolution of Robin Thicke” were sky high.
Admittedly, I’m not the most patient of men, so to see the albums release date pushed back month after month was maddening. Almost a full year had passed from the time the first single was released, to when the album finally hit the shelves. Though apparently Robin, a notorious perfectionist, imposed almost all the delays himself. Songs were repeatedly added and dropped from the tentative track listing. Even some of the songs used for promotional purposes didn’t end up on the final disc.
The choice of singles prior to the albums release was unforgivable. The first was a monotonous Neptunes produced number, “Wanna Love U Girl”. The second was “Shooter”, a mangled remix of a track from his first album. The third was an uninspired remix of the bland first single (supposed formula for success: alter the beat and add more rappers). It wasn’t until the release of the (frankly brilliant) fourth single “Lost Without U” that I felt a glimmer of hope for the rest of the album.
Getting onto the album proper, it didn’t immediately grab me by the balls like his first one did. Very few of the tracks displayed the same kind of dynamic sound that made his debut so unique. But it became obvious early on in my listens that this release was going to be more of a slow burner. The first track on the album was an interesting choice. A duet with Faith Evans, she actually opened the track (and therefore the album), with Robin coming in as backing vocals after about 40 seconds. The rest of the disc is a mixture of mellow R&B cuts, piano-led ballads and a couple of interesting up-tempo numbers. The highlights of this album were the quiet lil ballads. Robins breathy, yet earnest vocals resonated with emotion and made the songs feel so intimate, like you were listening to something private and ever-so personal.
In the time honoured “Prince” tradition, he writes, produces and plays the instruments on almost every single track on the album. This is impressive in its own right, but at the same time exemplifies the kind of control freak he is. Taking a cue from the title, I think there has been a significant change in Robins output this time round. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call it an “evolution”, but the sound here is considerably more mature, coherent and refined than it was in “A Beautiful World”. At any rate, this was a very personal album. Unlike the first album, none of the songs compel you to get up and dance, but quite a few will have you grinding the hips. That distinction is very telling. I found that this time round, I actually preferred the tracks that weren’t as heavily produced. I think it lends a more intimate feel to the songs, sounding as if they were recorded live, with a small accompanying band.
My main beef with the album would be its considerable length, clocking in at just over an hour and a quarter. A number of tracks could have been culled entirely to allow for a leaner listening experience. The only other fault with the album is that it panders to a hip-hop audience on a number of selected tracks. I think that flirting with this genre was a blatant attempt to come across as more credible artist. Sadly, those particular songs are terribly sub-par and totally indistinguishable from the plethora of other hip-hop songs currently heard on the airwaves.
After the dismal failure of his debut, I think Robin might have played things a little safe with this album, as its certainly more accessible than his first. But at the same time, it’s nowhere near as progressive or dynamic as I’d have hoped for. Still, if I were to disregard the handful of generic hip-hop songs, the album holds up very well. (Oh who am I kidding, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the album. Yes, the above review is a little harsh, but I just hold Robin to a slightly higher standard than most other artists. Its tough love people! But theres just no faulting his silky smooth voice :D)
Standout Tracks:
- Got 2 Be Down
- Complicated
- Lost Without U
- Everything I Cant Have
- Teach U A Lesson
- I Need Love
- Cocaine
- 2 The Sky
- Lonely World
- Angels
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