In
a review of Gangstarr's The Ownerz,
Rolling Stone Magazine said that rapper Guru could rhyme from a technical
manual and still sound hot over DJ Premier's production. Justin Timberlake tests this theory in The 20/20 Experience, milking complex,
funky production from the reinvigorated Timbaland to play the starring role
under his musically delicious but lyrically immature vocals.
20/20 is misrepresented as a Justin
Timberlake album. In reality, it's a
Timbaland/Timberlake collaboration with an emphasis on the Timbaland. Timbaland has kept a relatively low profile
since his string of hits in the mid-2000s that spawned 11 number one singles in
'06 and '07 alone, many for Timberlake himself.
20/20 signifies his
reemergence as an elite hit maker and his maturation as a producer.
Timberlake
seems to afford him a fair amount of freedom throughout the eight minute songs
that pepper the album to highlight Timbaland's layered and dynamic
production. The range he displays on this
album is remarkable and well- adjusted to the trends in indie pop and hip
hop. 'Don't Hold the Wall', 'Let The
Groove In' and 'Tunnel Vision' all hearken back to his classic style that had
me calling radio stations to request 'Promiscuous Girl' and 'Sexy Back' in
middle school -- driving, danceable rhythms with a vaguely ethnic sounding drum
backing. Elements of 'Mirrors' feel like
a happier, sexier 'Cry Me A River', while others expertly drop out to bass and
piano tremolos. It's club music, and
Timbaland has proven time and time again that this is a forte.
Even
out of his comfort zone, Timbaland excels.
He brings Flying Lotus-style ambient trip hop into the fold, highlighted
most notably in 'Strawberry Bubblegum's flowing synths. His deep bass kicks move in and out of a
sparing drum kit in this track, smooth organs melting beneath Timberlake's
vocals. 'Blue Ocean Floor' could have
been a love child of James Blake and the xx's turn tables, or taken straight
from the playbook of LA electro hip hop producer Nosaj Thing.
In
addition to this mood hop and his club tracks, Timbaland experiments fairly
successfully with neo-soul. 'That Girl',
'Suit and Tie' and 'Pusher Love Girl' pushed his pop niche towards R&B,
disco and even swing. They're brass
heavy, with bright horn highlights and unbelievably funky bass undertones. They kick with a retro style that first made
me peg them as just a cheap nod to the past, until you realize that Timbaland
may be churning out soul music better than the real thing. Search his solo album, Shock Value, and these
types of track are nowhere to be found.
But Timbo's work these days is the real deal and, with the help of a
fantastic studio band, his production brings 20/20 to life.
As
far as Justin goes, don't get me wrong -- this guys has pipes. His vocal arrangements are strong and I will
rarely get tired of well-intentioned falsetto that can live up to the
hype. His register allows him to handle
his falsetto expertly, one of his trademarks, and distinguishes him from other
falsettos, like fellow crooner Robin Thicke.
His voice will sometimes settle into an awkward lusty, mid-range
rap-singing, reminiscent of popular but musically questionable Nsync habits.
Timberlake's
lyrics, unfortunately, cannot match the thorough quality of the album's
music. While his voice is fantastic and
Timbaland is a the forefront of trends in pop production, Timberlake is not on
the same level lyrically as the premier R&B songwriters of the time. In a year where Frank Ocean and Miguel
dropped what could be conceived as collections of poetry, 20/20 just isn't even close.
It's going to be tough to get by with lines like, "So thick, now I
know why they call it a fatty".
Clever, Justin, clever. He clunks
his way through a number of clichés -- comparing a girl's love to drugs in
'Pusher Love Girl', loving someone "from the other side of the
tracks" in 'That Girl'. It's been
done before, and he doesn't bring anything new to the table. A number of the tracks could have been found
their way into the liner notes of his first solo effort, Justified, with simple
rhymes and up front, straight forward intentions. It's not painful, but it pales in comparison
to the high bar set by Timberlake's recent R&B peers.
Get
the album. It’s a pleasure to listen to
and Rolling Stone’s hypothesis is proven correct that over high quality
production, pedestrian lyrical content can be overlooked. Timbaland will undoubtedly begin a
diversification process in his clientele with an all-star performance like this
once. Justin Timberlake’s limitations,
however, may have been revealed. Take a
creative writing class, JT, it could serve you well on your next project.
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