Title: Channel Orange
Artiste: Frank Ocean
Genre: R&B/Soul
Familiarity: Zero, other than by reputation. I've heard a lot about of this album.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channe...#Track_listing
Track 1 Can't really rate it as it's just some effects
Track 2(Love) Oh what? This is not as expected! This is really, really nice. And I mean really. Somehow I thought this guy was hip-hop? Is that him doing the falsetto too?
The soft synthy music is gorgeous.
Track 3(Love) OK, forty seconds of clicking around on the radio then a little kind of jingle. Didn't think I'd be able to rate this, but you know...
Track 4(Love) Wow. This is really nice too. Like the best seventies soul you've ever heard. Bit of rapping but it's ok.
Track 5(Love) Talk about a smooth groove! Love the piano, and the backing vocals. Great bit of guitar there at the end. Pity it cuts off so abruptly.
Track 6 Just someone talking, possibly in a car. Meh.
Track 7(Love) Sort of a slow, pounding rhythm to this. The rap is nice and slow and I can understand what he's saying, which I often can't with some rapping.
Track 8 Lot of finger-clicking,
acapella singing; not mad about it though the chorus is really nice.
Track 9(Love) Much better. Soft piano then it kicks up but not too much
Track 10(Love) Okay, this one is just shy of ten minutes, could be interesting. Well it's more dancy/funk than anything that has gone previously, but it's still pretty good. Some great instrumentation for certain. Where are we now? Hey: third of the way through. And now into the seventh minute. This isn't dragging as I had worried it might. It might be a little overlong but it's sure not bad. Nice guitar bit at the end.
Track 11(Love) Yeah, another decent song. Quite a summery feel to it.
Track 12(Love) Just a tiny guitar piece, but nice. John Mayer??
Track 13(Hate) Not mad about this one at all. Quite annoying in fact.
Track 14(Love) Much, much better. Love the organ.
Track 15(Love) Yeah this is really nice too, although it sounds like someone is clearing out his sinuses in the background, and not having too easy a time of it! The string section is great. Now we have the kind of rap I dont like. Too fast and too much in it. Gorgeous guitar though.
Track 16 This one's okay. Nice funky guitar, but I can't say I love it.
Track 17(Love) And the closer is a short one, appropriately titled “End”, as the opener was titled “Start”. Yeah, it's quite nice. Bit odd the way it fades, then comes in again, strange noises ... yeah a bit weird. Sounds like he's getting out of his car and locking it. Interesting idea.
End result: Another huge surprise. I did not expect to like this at all, and was not looking forward to listening to it. Mind you, I was under the impression that Frankie was a rap artist, that he played hip-hop, and though there is the odd rap here it's generally more a soul/funk record and I must say I really quite enjoyed it.
So, Love or Hate? I would not have expected it, but it's a
Love.
Chances of a full review: 3/10