Every now and again I'll listen to a recently released album and, to make this easy, review it based on my first listen. Welcome to the first one... And, coincidentally, my first blog post.
“Can’t Stop” and “Scream” (which I think is a single) set a very upbeat tone for the album. Though Scream is a love song disguised as a dance song. It works. Climax looks like a song that details the “long goodbye” phase of a relationship. It’s really heartfelt. You’d think the Diplo production would have been a dance song, but this really works. And not a siren in the entire track (usually a Diplo staple). Lots of electronic/dubstep type beats on the album. Through the first songs, it appears this album is a long post-breakup letter. It feels like the first four songs have weaved a story of meeting-courting-long goodbye-breakup with I Care For You, which has what I’m calling a dubstep-lite beat that I really like. So far, this album kind of parallels Confessions. This theme seems to continue through “Show Me”, which seems like a song detailing a meeting at a party or club after the breakup, though it could be directed at any woman who’s coming off a relationship and he catches in the club. It’s a very danceable song and has a chantable hook/chorus, which they take advantage of later in the song. “Lemme See” is the obligatory post-club, let me take you home and do things to you song. The hook confirms this, basically telling the young lady “you’ve been saying all these things… well…”. Rick Ross brings his normal braggadocio, name dropping all types of high dollar items, interspersed with lines of what he will do to said young lady from the club.
“Twisted” is a nice departure from the types of beats that have been on the beat. This one is a little more simplified it seems and changes the tone of the album a bit. Seems like someone doesn’t like the way his girl acts when she’s around his friends and such now. Seems like he’s that guy that was attracted to a girl who dressed/acted one way when she was single, and didn’t change while she wasn’t. Pharrell’s verse pretty much talks to his girl about her girl who he hooked up with Usher, furthering the story. “Dive” is quite graphic. It’s definitely a love making song. The analogies can be taken either pretty literally, or taken to describe taking a dive as falling in love. I like it a lot more as the love song that it kind of morphs into at the end. The first few notes of “What Happened To U” had me thinking a Biggie sample (One More Chance) was coming, but not so much. This seems to be a love lost type song, detailing the things he’s done, his travels and such for a girl, and then asking realizing he’s in love with her and asking what happened to her being a part of it. Because he’s incomplete without her. I like this, except at the end, it’s kind of painted as a rhetorical question, as there’s no one there. “Looking 4 Myself” seems to signify another change in the album’s direction, and based on this song, an introspective section. This song kinda seems like an ‘80s song. The idea is that he’s looking for himself and, in that, has found the woman for him. Again, like with the Pharrell feature, Luke Steele’s verse sums up the idea of the song.
“Numb” returns the album to its electric beats and is again a change in the album. This one seems to be the prepackaged song that will end up on an NBA commercials, ESPN promos or something. Kind of an uplifting type song that fits those types of commercials and is in that vibe. “Lessons For The Lover” can be taken pretty literally, as the song is kind of a recap of the things that he’s actually learned as a result of past relationships, for better or worse. Maybe an open letter to the next about the things he’s learned about relationships. I like the different vibe of “Sins of My Father”, though it’s a dark vibe. I may be completely missing the point here, but I feel like the song is explaining perhaps why he’s isn’t the best parent or isn’t with the mother of his children because he didn’t learn that from a father figure and now he’s paying for the sins of his absentee father in that way. “Euphoria” best club song so far on the album. I would play this song like 4 times back to back. I can’t really decipher the point of the song, but it’s sick.
Overall, I like the album, independent of the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. The production is varied enough that you can play songs to fit different moods and I think I would only skip one or two songs on a trek through the album. If I had to pick songs that I like most, they’d probably be what are the singles as of now, “Lemme See” and “Scream”. If “Euphoria” isn’t the next single, I’d be surprised. Good album. On a scale of 1 – Confessions, I’d rate this one a Here I Stand.
