Critiques CD: Frank Ocean | channel ORANGE

Many prominent musicians agree: R&B is in a state of crisis. If, like so many other fans of the genre, you’ve turned your back on it because of all the formulaic club rhythms that have hijacked the soul (see: Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Taio Cruz), I sure don’t blame you. Enter Frank Ocean, the sometime Odd Future crooner/mentor who takes after Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo more than anything Usher’s ever released, and who stunned the hip-hop world into silence two weeks ago with his simple, poetic online avowal of same-sex love. All the press generated by that blog post is quickly forgotten, though, upon first listen to his channel ORANGE, which thankfully lives up to all the ‘coming out’ hype. Ocean’s imaginative, adventurous R&B is sure to draw comparisons with that young T-Dot talent who also likes his beats and ballads to be both hazy and bleak: The Weeknd. Whether it’s honest talk of sex, love, drugs or disillusionment, Ocean’s slow-burning wisdom, buttery smooth falsetto and moody, alt-y beats make for a strong, emotional statement. Standouts include the virtuosic “Bad Religion”, where Ocean sings about his unrequited crush for a devout Muslim cabbie over subtle organ chords, evoking skewed worship. “Super Rich Kids” features Odd Future’s subversive rapper Earl Sweatshirt nodding to R&B queen Mary J. Blige as he and Ocean “search for a real love”. And the spaced-out “Pink Matter”, featuring an ever-garrulous André 3000, is a moving ballad about wrestling between carnal and spiritual temptations. The production isn’t uniformly inspired throughout, but there is more than enough disarming vulnerability, soul and melodic magic here to get anyone in a tizzy. Step one in R&B’s long rehabilitation plan.