Throwback: Venice by Anderson .Paak
- Killjoy Reviews
- Jul 30, 2020
- 1 min read
By Dylan Shulman
On his debut studio album, Anderson .Paak sounds unrecognizable from the artist he is today. The smooth, jazzy influences and heavy R&B/soul style that come to define him are all under the surface on this 2014 project. Featuring flashy production, poppy hooks, electro breaks, and stellar storytelling, different isn't so bad. .Paak takes you on a trip through Venice, California, with pitstops at some strong memories and favorite highs. He covers drugs, dangerous sugar mommas, the sights of the city, and old cars. Strong points are "Milk 'N Honey," "Put You On," and "Off The Ground." The single "Drugs" seems out of place on the album and "Paint" screams 2000s pop which I'm not a big fan of.
The instrumentals on the project are largely maximalist, and to be honest I think I prefer .Paak when he leaves out the synths. Still, there's a lot to like here. Storytelling across the board is fantastic, and lyricism throughout the singing and rapping is strong except for a few misses like "Already (Feat. SiR)," a song that falls to the overdone trope of rappers talking about their copious amounts of money and women. However, a song like "Paint" with a disagreeable instrumental is crutched by figurative language and creative lyrics. "Get 'Em Up" lovingly whispers R&B and a .Paak to come. The album ends with two great tracks, which appealed to the alternative and electro fan in me.
Full of beachy sounds, iconic breathy vocals, and genre bends, "Venice" illustrates an early Anderson .Paak who can do it all.
Rating:
Comments