The world of popular music in 21st century America seems to be cut and dry, fast-paced, club-friendly songs dominate the landscape, while artists simply try to achieve heavy rotation in our short-term memory.
A short while ago, easy listening tracks were just as common on the radio as beat-heavy dance hits. With all this established, it’s probably still unlikely that Robin Thicke will be making much headway on the charts with his blue-eyed soul. The producer/singer/songwriter’s second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, is a rare and distinct offering.
Thicke brings a largely self-produced, melodic album to the table clearly divergent from what young people are used to hearing. His high-pitched voice is reminiscent of classic soul, a genre barely in the conscience of many Americans.
Artists comparable to the style of Thicke include Brian McKnight and Daniel Bedingfield, both of whom seem to find comfort in upper vocal ranges. One aspect of Thicke’s style is his extremely leisurely pace. He finds ways to make every track match his deliberate tempo: a blessing for those who want to slow down beside him, but a turnoff for the impatient.
After Grammy-winning efforts in songwriting and production, Thicke debuted with A Beautiful World in 2003. The album failed to garner much attention from most media outlets and fans in the United States. Curiously, one of the few fans it attracted was New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne. The two worked to create two tracks on the second album, providing a window of opportunity for cross-genre exposure.
The production on The Evolution of Robin Thicke is diverse and sonically pleasing. Each track has a distinct flavor, whether it is Latin, hip-hop or simply acoustic. Thicke’s lyrics are neither inventive nor creative, but they are effective. They range from touching and thoughtful, as on “Lonely World,” to the strange, as the homage to a certain powdery substance on “Cocaine.”
Faith Evans is featured on the album’s outstanding first track, “Got 2 Be Down,” while Lil’ Wayne is on “All Night Long” and “Shooter.” Of all 16 tracks, these two are easily the worst. The Neptunes add a heavy dash of bass on ‘Wanna Love U Girl,” the album’s first single.
Overall, The Evolution of Robin Thicke is a uniquely melodic album that should provide easy listening to those interested. Blue-eyed soul will probably not find space anytime soon on pop radio stations or in clubs, but Thicke does well on his second release. It will be difficult to find many music fans willing to slow down to match his pace, but perhaps this would not be such a bad idea.
Contact reporter Nikhil Joshi at joshidbk@gmail.com.
