On Lily's iPod: The Evolution of Robin Thicke

If you remember Robin Thicke at all, you remember him for his 2003 hit, “When I Get You Alone.” The first (and only) single released from his debut album, Beautiful World had people wondering about the man behind the voice. Sampling Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and a disco beat, Thicke’s playful and desperately soulful vocal had many people up and dancing.

Though the single was thought to be a promising start, Beautiful World only sold 58,000 copies here in the U.S. And like a majority of talented people, Thicke just seemed to disappear from the music scene. He sank back into production and created hits for singers like Mya, Brandy, and Christina Aguilera.

And that’s probably where he would have stayed if uber-producer Pharrell hadn’t gotten a hold of him in 2005. The Neptune’s founder was one of “the cult” that bought the CD and liked it. Impressed by Thicke’s talent, Pharrell inquired with Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine and signed him on his Star Trak imprint. The end result is Thicke’s sophomore effort entitled, The Evolution of Robin Thicke.

What we get in Thicke’s second album is a left of center take on the “white guy who doesn’t sing like he’s white” vocal mixed with some pretty interesting beats. However, the album has a few aspects that hinder it from becoming the perfect welcome back that Robin Thicke fans would like it to be.

There are some great standout tracks on this CD. “Lost Without U” is hot on the video charts right now. But don’t overlook the other tracks. Faith Evans lends her talent to “Got 2 Be Down,” giving it a smooth, yet punchy vibe. “Complicated” sounds like a classic that Carol King would have composed and Smokey Robinson would have vocalized. The same can be said for the Commodore-esque “All Night Long.” The Latin infused “Everything I Can’t Have” is a really fun and addictive song. My personal favorite is a revamp by rapper Lil’ Wayne of Beautiful World’s “Shooter,” which was featured on The Carter Vol. 2 in 2005. It makes me feel like a badass…what can I say?

The best part of this CD hands down, is Thicke’s vocal abilities. The falsetto baby…it’s ALL about that angelic falsetto. Note for note, he gives Justin Timberlake a run for his money and then passes him by because there’s an experience to it. When he’s on, you actually can feel and believe what he’s singing. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have range. Switching tones comes easily and naturally, and more importantly, it comes at the right time.

The variety of musical style is pretty impressive. Thicke and his team find a way to meld his vocals with the simplicity of just a guitar and/or piano (which Robin Thicke plays himself) or funk up something that could have been boring. It certainly keeps you on your feet.

As many things as it has going for it – there are a number of things that are wrong with The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The album isn’t as tight as it should be. It just seems to take too long to find its groove. At sixteen total tracks (on the deluxe edition), it isn’t incredibly long. It just feels like it. Because it feels like it’s too long, by the time you get to the last songs, you wonder what the whole point was.

Add to that the fact that there were some really bad choices production-wise. The worst offender is “Cocaine,” which just sounds like Prince done very badly by a talent show band. And lyrically, it is hit or miss. The Evolution of Robin Thicke is meant to take us on an emotional journey, but for word buffs, it’s a trip without a map. I seriously hope I’m missing a metaphor or something in “Teach U a Lesson.” Otherwise, this is just a creepy and dirty song.

There are a number of collaborations on The Evolution of Robin Thicke. And for the most part, they work really well. Except for “Wanna Love U Girl.” I like Pharrell and I thank him for digging Robin Thicke out of the dustbin…but his entry sounds like “The Neptune’s and Robin Thicke.” It should be the other way around if you’re trying to collaborate. Just not what I’m used to from a musical genius.

Robin Thicke is at his best when the main focus is on his vocal performance. As my speech coaches used to tell me, a great delivery will cover for sub-par material. With very few exceptions, when the production only calls for a simple musical arrangement with Thicke’s voice – like it does in “Angel” --chances are you’ll like the song.

Message to Robin: Keep it simple, baby. We love you for you…don’t try to be someone else!

My final verdict on The Evolution of Robin Thicke is that you should definitely try it out. Thicke is too good of a vocalist to pass him by. While there are a few of tracks that I’ll be un-clicking when importing the CD to my iPod, there are more than enough songs on the CD to justify keeping it on my regular rotation.