Deez Note: I found this album very hard to review. After a very intriguing conversation with my man Freddie C, I figured that his input should be on this as well. We collaborated for a K Nots first! Hopefully ya’ll will see more of Freddie C.
With the latest Kanye West release, 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye has provided something unique and perhaps revolutionary. Does that mean it is a good album? He has done the whole thing in autotone (save for a few moments here and there). Does that make it a bad album? The fact is, after a week of listening to this album, you may feel like the album cover: deflated and shriveled.
It is so hard to ignore the negatives on this album because after one listen through, they slap you in the face. “Robocop” may be one of the silliest songs heard in recent memory. The biggest problem is the feeling of hope that the song gives the listener. In fact, he crushes this hope. Any signs of optimism on “Bad News” are squashed, as Kanye‘s high notes are not the only thing relevant to the title; the song is a wreck. The only reason why “Love Lockdown” has proven to be significant is because of its catchy aftertaste. The early 90′s house feel gives it some oomph, still, the singing is painful and because it is, any crumbs of musical genius are swept off the table by the damp, wet cloth of Kanye‘s vocals.
His voice is pretty bad; however, “Street Lights” is quite beautiful. For once, the prospective sound that has been tickled with throughout the album gets unleashed on the 3 minute introspective look on his achievements. “Heartless” is another track that shows what this album could’ve been. It is the perfect blend of a Kanye we are familiar with and the Kanye we are coming to know; both on the production and on the microphone.
Listening to 808s often feels like a drag; the beats don’t evolve, the vocoder annoys and the subject matter bores. Considering all the names that were (apparently) helping complete this album, No I.D, Herbie Hancock, and Mike Dean, the production seems entirely rushed, cluttered, misplaced and unfit. Despite all of these flaws, the album grabs the audiences attention due to the catchy hooks and addictive production, no matter how asinine.
Lyrically, it is far from a masterpiece. In fact, Kanye‘s “miracle whips” punchline certainly more clever than anything you’ll hear on this album and easily more genuine. And this is where Kanye‘s apologists will jump in and ask, “How is this album not as genuine as the previous three? If anything, this album is Kanye stripped bare and Kanye at his most authentic. How are you gonna hate on Kanye as he pours his heart out?” This, of course, begs the question: were his previous three albums not genuine? Isn’t that why we bought into Kanye in the first place? “Through the Wire” was, for many, an introduction to this Kanye West character. And that song is one of the most genuine songs you’ll hear, as he invites us to share in his trial and triumph.
Another argument in defense of this album is that autotune can make a song more emotional. Sure. It can also make it a hell of a lot more annoying. Kanye comes off sounding like a broke-ass Zapp & Roger. (“I Wanna Be Your Man” > this album). Kanye has a superb ability to be introspective when he raps, so the singing isn’t exactly necessary. Neither is the use of autotune, which could simply be used as a marketing tool.
Look no further than “Robocop” and “See You in My Nightmares” with Weezy for ear aches, not heartbreaks. Give him credit though; he’s got courage and determination. However, after hearing 808s, a man who evidently has put so much effort into his work has seemingly skipped a step and cut a whole bunch of corners. And cutting corners and putting out sub-par material is not Kanye‘s steez. He’s usually concerned with the quality of everything he puts his name on, which has led to 3 great solo albums, critical acclaim, and superstardom. But he’s clearly not on his A-game with this one. I need to listen to College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation in succession just to rid myself of the foul taste “Robocop” left.
Overall Score: 67/100
Standout Tracks:
“Heartless”
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“Street Lights”
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“Welcome to Heartbreak”
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Related posts:
- Review: Graduation
- Review: Late Registration
- Review: College Dropout
- Review: Finding Forever
- Graduation: Review
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