MusicTalks
11/06/08, 01:15 PM
Robin Thicke - Something Else
Record Label: Star Trak / Interscope
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Over the last few years Robin Thicke has ever so subtly found his way into your iPod catalog. You might look down and wonder how it got there, but be assured that it's there for a reason. With a career that many would envy, Robin Thicke is now enjoying the fruits of his strenuous labor. With hits and cameos over the last eighteen months or so, Robin Thicke is adding a new angle to his repertoire. He isn't relying on past laurels. No, he's trying to take soul music back to the day when it was something to be coveted. With his new release, Something Else, he's trying to reconnect with fans of his last record, but I think that the circuitry might need a little rewiring.
His last album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, was not his debut album, but for most of his listeners, it was their debut listening to him. While it’s listed as his second album, a few others preceded it, with little to no fanfare. Evolution has been certified Platinum and has produced two commercially viable singles (“Lost Without U”, which peaked at number one on Billboard, and “Wanna Love U Girl”). His charmingly good looks and smooth, silky voice has transcended barriers, similar in fashion to Justin Timberlake. Keep in mind that his success, while is seems to have happened overnight, took years to create. He has spent most of his career writing and producing, and he’s received Grammys to show for it. With his newest release, Something Else, there are expectations to meet and a Platinum status to follow.
On Something Else, he utilizes each possible trait listed to make a genuine and smooth junior (really a sophomore) album. “You’re My Baby” lacks direction and relevant lyrics, but has a good hook and instruments to open the album. “Sidestep” reminds me a classic 70’s soul track and Robin ventures out of the higher octaves into the lower ones and it pays off. “Magic” is the hit single from the album and rightfully so. It’s electric and instantly likable. The next three songs are slower ballads and tend to wander off in relation to the beginning of the album. “Hard on My Love” has a nice rock and roll vibe to it, a little reminiscent of an old Lenny Kravitz song with it’s guitar rifts and drums. The songs to follow are slow and uneventful, but the album ends with “Tie My Hands,” featuring Lil Wayne, who has been on several Robin Thicke tracks. It’s definitely the best slower song on the album and Lil Wayne does a great job with following the flow of the song with his timing and lyrics. The hook is infectious and definitely one of the best on the album. When it was all said and done, I found myself wanting more from this release, especially since I loved Evolution. Something Else is a solid album, sure, but it falls short of it's predecessor, something I fear will happen with his next few releases, unless he steps out of the box and tries something a little different with his music.
In the end, I found Something Else to be the male-equivalent of Joss Stone's later records. While there is a hope for the heart and spark from previous releases, it settles into complacency halfway through and never gets out. The idea that he could ride the success from Evolution was a mistake that is apparent when this album is over and done with. And honestly, I hope that he comes with some super-soulful with his next album because any duplication of Something Else will yield something else, entirely in the wrong direction.
The Evolution of Robin Thicke; silky vocals; innuendos; average lyrics; R&B; hooks
myspace.com/robinthicke (http://www.myspace.com/robinthicke)
Record Label: Star Trak / Interscope
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Over the last few years Robin Thicke has ever so subtly found his way into your iPod catalog. You might look down and wonder how it got there, but be assured that it's there for a reason. With a career that many would envy, Robin Thicke is now enjoying the fruits of his strenuous labor. With hits and cameos over the last eighteen months or so, Robin Thicke is adding a new angle to his repertoire. He isn't relying on past laurels. No, he's trying to take soul music back to the day when it was something to be coveted. With his new release, Something Else, he's trying to reconnect with fans of his last record, but I think that the circuitry might need a little rewiring.
His last album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, was not his debut album, but for most of his listeners, it was their debut listening to him. While it’s listed as his second album, a few others preceded it, with little to no fanfare. Evolution has been certified Platinum and has produced two commercially viable singles (“Lost Without U”, which peaked at number one on Billboard, and “Wanna Love U Girl”). His charmingly good looks and smooth, silky voice has transcended barriers, similar in fashion to Justin Timberlake. Keep in mind that his success, while is seems to have happened overnight, took years to create. He has spent most of his career writing and producing, and he’s received Grammys to show for it. With his newest release, Something Else, there are expectations to meet and a Platinum status to follow.
On Something Else, he utilizes each possible trait listed to make a genuine and smooth junior (really a sophomore) album. “You’re My Baby” lacks direction and relevant lyrics, but has a good hook and instruments to open the album. “Sidestep” reminds me a classic 70’s soul track and Robin ventures out of the higher octaves into the lower ones and it pays off. “Magic” is the hit single from the album and rightfully so. It’s electric and instantly likable. The next three songs are slower ballads and tend to wander off in relation to the beginning of the album. “Hard on My Love” has a nice rock and roll vibe to it, a little reminiscent of an old Lenny Kravitz song with it’s guitar rifts and drums. The songs to follow are slow and uneventful, but the album ends with “Tie My Hands,” featuring Lil Wayne, who has been on several Robin Thicke tracks. It’s definitely the best slower song on the album and Lil Wayne does a great job with following the flow of the song with his timing and lyrics. The hook is infectious and definitely one of the best on the album. When it was all said and done, I found myself wanting more from this release, especially since I loved Evolution. Something Else is a solid album, sure, but it falls short of it's predecessor, something I fear will happen with his next few releases, unless he steps out of the box and tries something a little different with his music.
In the end, I found Something Else to be the male-equivalent of Joss Stone's later records. While there is a hope for the heart and spark from previous releases, it settles into complacency halfway through and never gets out. The idea that he could ride the success from Evolution was a mistake that is apparent when this album is over and done with. And honestly, I hope that he comes with some super-soulful with his next album because any duplication of Something Else will yield something else, entirely in the wrong direction.
The Evolution of Robin Thicke; silky vocals; innuendos; average lyrics; R&B; hooks
myspace.com/robinthicke (http://www.myspace.com/robinthicke)