Album songs：
Album Intro：
In my opinion, you don't have to be a young boy or girl who finds Drake 'dreamy' to really appreciate this album (not AT ALL to devalue the musical tastes or celebrity crushes of younger folks).
Whereas most 19-year-olds with guitars are just young people who can write songs, Drake is a SONGWRITER. Whereas most of those 19-year-olds can play the guitar, Drake is a GUITARIST. He's the real deal and has more than enough talent to spread over the 10 of these 12 music tracks.
I'd say he leans toward the rock (as opposed to pop) genre, but there's nothing abrasive about his rock and roll style. Take any period of the Beatles, pretend they're spices and you can find them seasoning up the entire album in one way or another. There's also some Patty Griffin (the paradoxical semi-detached yet achingly personal lyrical style), some of Bruce Springsteen's blue-collar-workin'-man energy, and a bit of John Mayer (not so much the glossy sound... but the journalist-turned-songwriter sensibilities). He even has a gift for Jason Mraz-esque word-play, but where Jason uses it (or seems to use it) as a novelty that serves his musical style, Drake seamlessly incorporates its usage into the bigger picture.
If this album doesn't get much radio play (and that would be radio's loss), it's because it's more varied and musically sophisticated than the stuff radio programmers are comfortable with. I'm not saying it's 'experimental' or 'abstract' by any means. There's just plenty of blues, jazz, classic rock, and folk rock to go around and yet there's no one song that conforms cleanly to any of those genres. He's a renaissance man who deserves to be at the front of the line along his 20-something-year-old peers.
By-the-by, this album provided the perfect soundtrack for a cross-country drive. It's a good, fun album to drive by. Good energy, strength... never over-the-top and not an ounce of whimpishness (for lack of an actual word).
For those curious, his voice is pleasantly raspy and there's always a sense of unapologetic know-how in his delivery, without the bratty psuedo-punk attitude that litters many a radio station. The concerns are always beyond that of typical late-teen angst as well (no doubt due to his having to grow up pretty fast due to his young celebrity status, which he seems to approach with a refreshing lack of arrogance). As sophisticated as he is in his lyrical style, he always gives the songs room to breathe and even indulge in good-clean-fun of the California Rock variety.
For those teetering on the brink of buying this album, I'd say it's safe to put both feet through the door. To coin a clich, 'What's not to like'?
|
