I will fully admit up front that I am a big fan of Kanye West’s work. He knows how to make catchy beats, and his rap delivery is very complimentary to them. Maybe not one of the strongest lyricists in the game, he demonstrates that it takes more than superior rapping ability to produce a hit record (pay attention: Nas). Coming off of Graduation
Frankly, I’ve had enough of the Auto-Tune crap. T-Pain, the main auto-tune ambassador, started this whole fad and even he is saying its over (in my opinion so is his career, but that remains to be seen). When I read that Kanye was releasing an entire Auto-Tune’d album, my heart dropped. I was really looking forward to his new album, and I dismissed it right away. Then I heard the revamped Love Lockdown.
Kanye used the auto tune tastefully, in the majority of the album. For poor implementations, please see Ron Brown’s latest work, exception of Busta’s “Arab Money”. Busta can do no wrong in my eyes, but is neither here nor there. The way I see Kanye’s use of auto-tune: it allows him to make music that he would LIKE to, but physically cannot. Have you ever heard Kanye sing? Track down some of his old work: Peace, Half Price, Wow, Drop Dead Gorgeous, or I Need to Know. Strong tracks in my eyes, but they are not complimented by his attempt at singing. Sure the use of computer-aided vocal enhancers could be viewed as ‘cheating’, but good vocals on a bad track does not a hit make. Just ask Mariah in the Butterfly portion of her career.
After hearing the v2 of Love Lockdown, I decided to change my mind, and give the album a chance. Kanye knows what he is doing. Therefore, I’m walking into the album with an open mind, and I suggest you do the same.
The whole album has a dark sound to it, which I think plays perfectly into the theme. Starting right with the first track, a solemn, sad theme is instilled. There is a good 3 minute instrumental interlude at the end of the song, creating dramatic tension, and pulling you into the second song: Welcome to Heartbreak. The thing I love about the entire album is although he sings, the feel is still very hip-hop, not that of an RnB release. Albeit darker and more dramatic, the beats are still 100% Kanye. They have a unique feel though, likely from the tone of each drum hit. Kanye supposedly required each beat be programmed using the Roland TR-808 drum machine. This gives the now infamous tribal drum feel, which I think works wonderfully.
The third track is Heartless, which has been released as the second single. Featuring a whistle and vocal production in Auto-Tune, the songs expresses his emotional pain caused from heartbreak. Kanye himself stated the Auto-Tune processing (robotic puberty) is to represent the effect of being heartbroken. I think that’s a load of crap, but fortunately for him, he uses the effect sparingly.
The other standouts for me are: Love Lockdown, Paranoid, RoboCop, and Streetlights. Paranoid has an absolutely infectious beat, that practically holds a 44Mag to your head and forces you to shake your booty. That may have been imagery from my dream, but the effect is still the same.
RoboCop is very experimental, and may not appeal to many, but I think the electronic additions to his music are pure genius. Then again, I am a big fan of electronic music. Streetlights is more laid back, but just as experimental. Heavy vocal distortion in front a piano with a distinct drum pattern. A synth rounds out the sound scape with the help of choral singers. This complex arrangement works, to my ears. Its a very compelling and captivating song, demonstrating his discontent with his current stage of life.
I was not overly impressed with Bad News, or See you in my Nightmares. Not bad songs, but they are overshadowed by the standouts on the album.
All in all Kanye breaks new ground artistically, through a body of inspired work. As good as it is, let’s hope that one recovery album is all he needs so we can have the rapping ‘Ye back quick.
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