As the unlikely member of controversial rap collective, Odd
Future, Frank Ocean's smooth yet progressive take on R&B is a welcomed
refresher. He quickly established a cult
following on his mixtape, Nostalgia,
Ultra, and had fans impatiently waiting for more. On his official debut, Channel Orange, Ocean continues to push the boundaries of
traditional R&B while singing with a seductive croon and a high level of
lyrical honesty.
Similar to Nostalgia,
Ultra, the record opens with sounds -like a engine starting. The track flows into, "Thinkin' Bout
You" -a seemingly, one-sided love affair that Ocean wants to
continue. The beats are simple, letting
Ocean's vocals overwhelm instead of the instrumentation. Other mini-intermissions come in the form of
tracks like "Fertilizer" "Not Just Money" and
"White" which features John Mayer.
Following "Thinkin' Bout You" is the tale of
"Sierra Leone." There's a
'70s-esque groove that punctuates the lyrical mystery of the track. Ocean isn't going out of his way to make his
music radio-friendly or club-ready.
"Sweet Life" which boasts the line, "My TV ain't HD, that's too real" features a subdued
brass section and a soft, piano accent.
Ocean takes the biggest strides vocally on this song, featuring Al
Green-inspired howls and a strong rasp.
His creative take on an iconic sound propels the album foward, as the
tracks are fluid in and out.
"Super Rich Kids" featuring fellow OFWGKTA member,
the elusive Earl Sweatshirt, almost has
a "Benny and the Jets" type feel as Ocean speaks about spoiled kids
with "too many white lies and too many white lines." And, where other R&B artists use
irrelevant samples to add an illusion of depth to their tracks, Ocean's
sing-along of "I'm looking for a real love" actually fits into the
narrative he's created.
Ocean's effortless suave swagger trickles throughout the
rest of the album on the finger-snap driver, "Pilot Jones" and "Crack
Rock" -where even Ocean's unabashed vulgarity is pleasing to the ear.
The closest Ocean gets to a club-banger (and
I use that term loosely) is the undeniable groove of the 10-minute epic,
"Pyramids" where he compares his runaway lady-love interest to
Cleopatra, and "Lost." The electronic scale in the background is
repetitious and synths addictive as Ocean fills the track with falsetto and
sweet, vocal runs. While
"Lost" unfolds, I don't think anyone would mind being lost in the
"heat" or "thrill of it all" with Mr. Ocean by their side.
"Monks" tells of the ones who "mosh for
enlightenment" -yet another soulful, social commentary. Where popular observations about love and
real relationships, or lack thereof, are often presented on a surface level,
Ocean weaves complexities with more relatable phrasing. Fading into the confessional track, "Bad
Religion" -Channel Orange finds
its climax as well as its slow burn of an ending. Vocally, Ocean's strength is in his
desperation -telling the all-too-familiar woes of loving someone who doesn't
love you.
"Pink Matter" featuring Outkast's Andre 3000, is
like embers glowing. 3000's verse
breathe life into a track that almost fades into the background. Obviously unafraid to mix genres, a heavy yet
mellowed blues guitar rocks the track to sleep as Ocean and 3000 blend their
vocals, almost like a lullaby.
"Forrest Gump" (the album's end, as the track "End"
is just sounds, in true Frank Ocean fashion) is a solid closer.
Depending on how you receive it, the track
can be an ode to the character Forrest Gump himself, or a metaphor for Ocean's
own life and past relationships that have recently come to light in the
media. Whether it's a love-letter to
Ocean's past, male love or not, it works.
Wrapping up the themes of love, loss, growth, and heartbreak, Ocean
promises, "I'll never forget you" and he's now made it so we won't be
able to forget him either. **10/10
