My first review!
I would just like to preface this review by telling you all that I don't think I have ever just sat down and listened to a whole album. By nature, I love the pop and glamour associated with singles, and I very rarely find stuff I like deep in the depths of albums. The exception to this is Madonna. Her other tracks have always been better than the singles.
In any case, I'm gonna listen to the whole album start to finish so that I can fit in. BAM!
Release year: 2013
1. Pusher Love Girl
2. Suit & Tie
3. Don't Hold the Wall
4. Strawberry Bubblegum
5. Tunnel Vision
6. Spaceship Coupe
7. That Girl
8. Let the Groove Get In
9. Mirrors
10. Blue Ocean Floor
Pusher Love Girl
As the album's opener, I do appreciate the great instrumentals and classic JT vocals on this track. That said, it's also incredibly boring for me. It's got a doo-wop feel, and that makes it sound a bit dated. What is a pusher love girl, anyway? I love JT's outros generally, and I do I like this outro too. I just wish the whole thing was a bit more epic than it seems. It's not exactly dance-able, either. This would basically make good background music to a sort of weird sex or while cooking. That's the best I can do with it.
Suit & Tie
Now we're sliding more into an R&B style, which reminds me more or the direction I wanted JT to go in. I love the instrumental, but this song is not catchy enough, plan and simple. That said, it does have some degree of uniqueness. But for some weird reason this and the track before it makes it seem like Justin became an old person. I can see why people like it, though. Especially if they like 80s lounge music also. This is morning music in any case. I may download this track (illegally) just so I can listen to it with breakfast on Saturday. I'll delete it after that probably.
Don't Hold the Wall
Starts out very N*SYNC. Then becomes tribal. Again with the weird lingo...what does it mean to hold the wall? Is that like hanging out in the corner? Anyway I'm loving this one so far, but it again lacks a hook. JT is asking us to dance, but this song, again, is not super danceable. I can't even picture a bunch of people dancing to this. If they did, it would be in slow motion, and kind of tribal. With fire dancers. The second half of the song is sample-y and cool. You might like it. Still, I'm tempted to just hold the wall on this one.
Strawberry Bubblegum
Oooo, I love the opening thing from JT on this one. "Mellow, mellow, mellow, mellow..." Very nice. I didn't want to say it, but it seemed that I would like this track based on the title alone. My suspicions were accurate. It is sexy, cool, and very, very danceable. It kinda reminds me of eating a pancake with metled butter and syrup...and strawberries, of course. My favorite so far. Just listening to it makes me feel a little more feminine than I did before.
This song really makes me think the critics who are saying Timbaland and Timberlake are doing their usual thing are way off base. This is unlike anything either has produced, imo.
Tunnel Vision
Aaaand we're back to the modern and classy porn soundtrack sound I'm used to. In terms of porn background music, this album is (so far) blowing them out of the water. In terms of a strong pop album, it's drowning a bit in parts. There's nothing really likable about this track. I like the idea of Tunnel Vision when JT sees me, though. YES! PICK ME!! WHO NEEDS YER WIFE! Oh!! The orchestral bits toward the end of the bridge are very very nice. This is a welcome surprise. More violin please!! No? Okay. Moving on.
Spaceship Coupe
This definitely has a space feel in the first ten seconds. Who knew the world "alienate" could be used like that? This song is also sexy, but Strawberry Bubblegum was better. Its pacing is slow, but well-managed. The vocals on this particular track actually care it really well. But again, this is basically only good for a quiet sexy night in. At the end, really weird breathing. Not a fan of this one.
That Girl
Marvin Gaye much? This track is not like the others. Why? Because it is effing weird. This is also the first song not moving like a turtle the entire time. It speeds up - just a little bit - at some points. Bravo, JT. Bravo. Still, the lyrics here are just mad cheesy. Come on JT, you used to be so ahead of the times!
Let the Groove Get In
Whaaaaaaaaaat....? *dances like crazy* Finally a song I can jam hardcore to! Okay, if you listen to nothing else on the album, at least give this song a listen. It is absolutely delicious. It almost makes up for the milder porn stuff. This is no porn soundtrack! This is the sound of crazy love! Turns out this song also samples an African track from Burkina Faso. APPROVE.
Mirrors
I really like Mirrors, and I think this song is really beautiful, genuine, and easy to listen to. The opening bit is absolutely adorable. The only problem with the song overall is that it sounds too much like JT's older stuff. For that reason, when it plays on my recent shuffle list, I get a sense of nostalgia and feel a certain "knowing". It's a very strange sensation. The song is great all the same, I'm just not sure if it's good to like someone's old self that much. I should be embracing JT's evolution, not relishing his past. At least, that's how I would want it to be, if I were a musician. Also. I don't love the outro. All in all, the epicness one would expect from the creators of "Lovestoned." FINALLY.
Blue Ocean Floor
Is that JT? His voice is very different at some parts of this song. Aaaaaand it's weird. This one seems to be a crowd pleaser though, with 50% of the youtube comments about the album referring to the "greatness" of this song. I don't feel it. Haaaa...toward the end it does get a bit better, with the vocal coming in much stronger and a very sad violin solo happening in parallel. Aw, he seems very sad now. Aw, what a way to end an album. Wow. This was an experience.
Overall (tl;dr): The album definitely has something for older Justin fans, but not much. It's likely that the album will attract a new/younger audience, or it will appeal to really die-hard fans that see no wrong with the beauty of this man. Well, I'm one of the latter. I'm buying this and I will listen to it again and again until I fall in love. Or, I'll go to a concert. Because Justin does things to the studio recordings in concert that...well it's unbelievable. You wouldn't believe me anyway.
6.5/10