Robin Thicke- Paula (2014)

 Why did I review the album? I like Robin Thicke

Did I like it? Unfortunately not

Will I listen again? No

My Favs

3. You’re My Fantasy

2.  Forever Love

1. Get Her Back

This album suffers from a lack of focus. In the past I’ve said that albums should have a level of variety and I believe that, but when a silly song like Tippy Toes that sounds like a sing along for Tele tubbies is in a professional album, we have a problem.

I can see what each song was trying to achieve, but almost all fail for various reasons.

I will commend him for using a myriad of sounds and trying to merge them into a cohesive album, but using sounds from different genres and eras added to the lack of focus. It was a good idea that was poorly executed.

Overall Rating: 30 with a Not For Me recommendation

Kanye West- Yeezus (2013)

Why did I review the album? Kanye has made three of my favorite albums (College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation)

Did I like it? No

Will I listen again?  No

I will not do a track by track analysis of albums I do not like because it is highly likely I’ll repeat myself multiple times which is waste of your time and mine. If the artist didn’t realize his/her error the first or second time, it’s highly unlikely s/he’ll change tactics on later tracks. Instead I'll review one track that i did like and one that I did not. The song that I like will suggest what the artist could have done to make the rest of the album stronger.The one that I did not like will serve as an example why I did not like the album.

I respect Kanye for experimenting with his music despite the possibility of failure. For that reason I will listen to every album he releases. That said, just because he creates something different doesn’t mean it works.

The biggest problem with this album is that it changes too much. On this album he changes the sound, flow and content. Almost like Kanye West created a new artist. There was too much change wrapped in one album and it destroyed any positive experience I could have with this album.  Experimentation with music works best when the artist changes one thing from his/her repertoire.  This formula works because it fosters innovation, but keeps enough features consistent to avoid alienating the audience. Even if the person does not like the element the artist changed, there is still enough of the original artist in the song that the person will still like the song. At worst, the person would notice the attempt to try something new and not like the song, but appreciate the effort.  

He definitely creates something new, but the question is, will you like it?

To test your affinity for this album I’d listen to Hell of a Life on Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song captures the sound that permeates this album. If you can handle that song, this album might be worth listening to.
Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean you won't like it.

I’d like to hear from people that did enjoy the album to find out why.

My Favs

3. Blood on the Leaves

2. I’m In It

1. Bound 2

Overall Rating: 50 with a Not For Me recommendation