Review:

on 2010-04-06 Jonathan_Kroening Said:

One of the major issues with Timbaland Presents Shock Value isnt that Timbalands incumbent sound is stale or foul, its that if Justin Timberlake came out with a third solo album that sounded just like FutureSex/LoveSounds or if Nelly Furtado reiterated the tone of Loose we would have a problem with these artists ostensible lack of growth, direction, or originality. So when Timbaland regurgitates the method of these two aforementioned records, immediately his ingenuity is put into question. However, what he might be trying to do here is show the world that those sounds, which you love so much on your favorite pop artists record, are his trademark. And can you blame him? Producers want the spotlight too sometimes. After ungainly trailing JT around onstage for a tour, Timbaland, along with the likes of power songwriter Keri Hilson (Omarions Ice Box, PCDs Wait A Minute) are starting to emerge from behind studio walls to take credit for the brains behind the big names that sell pop.

The initial response to Shock Value is presumably shocking in a distasteful way as it would seem prima facie that the album is an uneven mess or slight confusion due to an apparent lack of consistency throughout the 17 tracks, all of which save one feature other artists. This is especially true when the first single, Give It To Me is so readily accessible. In that case, is the album better heard as a collection of singles? Would what presently sounds like a compilation of numerous musicians over Timbo produced tracks have been more exoteric had it been released only as singles for radio play?

The record begins with a simple piano line accompanied by palmas throwing listeners straight into the world of 1999's remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Once the chorus arrives one realizes why: this is a Nina Simone sample of Sinnerman, but cleverly done in true Timbaland style with the strobed synths in typical 1&2 pattern that made Timberlakes My Love so recognizable. An appropriate intro, Oh Timbaland leads directly into the lead single, which showcases Timbalands bizarre syncopations and beats in a catchy groove track.

Release utilizes the ever-popular Inspector Gadget lick chopped up a little more than it was on LoveStoned and mimics the fun danceable tone of SexyBack. You can even hear a similar prince-esque funk guitar riff in the end oddly akin to the one in LoveStoned. By the next track Keri Hilson has arrived alongside the return of the strobed synths in a melodically driven club tune titled Way I Are.

This first quarter of Shock Value is excellent, but as soon as the beat drops in Bounce there is an immediate change of tone. Not until Boardmeeting does the record rebound and return to the lighter club/dance beats. Conversely, Bounce gives the feeling that youre in a late nightclub; everyone is intoxicated, grinding each other a la Spears Slave 4 U. The lyrics appropriately are about dancing like your a** had the hiccups and Missy Elliots and Dr. Dres raps are almost certainly the best on the record. Yet this track feels misplaced and seems to disrupt the flow of the album. After surviving two more heavy rap tracks, it becomes clear that this is a deliberate mood change, but nonetheless fans are thirsting for what Timbaland has become successful at creating as of late: upbeat dance songs.

Boardmeeting and Fantasy are mediocre tracks but at least headed in the right direction as Scream finalizes the return to a lighter tone with a nice driving beat and a catchy melody. Propelled by a muted guitar riff, Scream uses a typical rock trick where you move the bass kick from beat 1 to beat 4 of the previous bar in order to break up the measures and push the song along by anticipating the downbeat. This technique is a breath of fresh air for a hip-hop album and besides the beat going a little too long the only thing one could want different is a little more of our favorite Pussycat Doll, Nicole Sherzinger.

Keri Hilson carries Miscommunication, which is produced solely by Nate Danja Hills, Timbalands prot?g?, and Bombay, concluding the third section of the album, is a decent Bollywood meets Timbo joint. The time has come for something thats actually a little shocking as Throw It On Me, the first song of the final quarter of the record, pumps with a nice strong beat over a Hives guitar riff. Quick and easy, but catchy and appropriate, this collaboration opens the door to a pop/rock section that includes throwaways like Time and 2 Man Show. Further, tracks like One & Only and Apologize are actually less shocking than Timbo would like us to think. The former tune pairs the melodic hooks of Fall Out Boy with Timbaland beats and stutters, exemplified in the half-time breakdown at the ends where if you close your eyes you can actually see Justin busting out that trademark foot-slide dance move of My Love.

OneRepublic commits their song Apologize to Timbalands care for a remix, which is probably a good thing since it both works exceptionally well and Timbaland owns the record label, Mosley Music Group, to which they are jointly signed for their debut release. Timbos groaning at the intro does reminisce of Mobys Porcelain but this is forgivable because the lyrics and melody are outstanding and to Timbalands credit this remix is better than the OneRepublic album version.

The album closer is likely the most annoying track of all as Timbaland edits in quips of him bossing Elton John around, directing him when to begin playing: hold up Elton, not yet&ok, go ahead John; when to change licks: switch it up; and when to change dynamics: kill em. Ease it out for em. As if Timbaland has the credibility to command Sir Elton John how to play piano. And we are all left wondering why Elton didnt sing a lick on this 2 Man Show, which undeniably is not the case as the album features at minimum 22 musicians and Timbo himself claims on Oh Timbaland that hes a one man game.

So the question still remains to be answered: is Shock Value nothing more than a bunch of radio play singles? For the first few listens the album does seem scattered and messy, but upon close examination (and after sinking ones teeth in via ten listens) it is clear that this record is broken into four distinct sections. What makes the album appear disjointed is the plethora of featuring artists. When digesting new music one looks for a consistent tone or sound throughout an album and track order is a delicate part of maintaining context. While the second section gets a little too heavy for the 21st century Timbo sound, the first and third quarters bring what one would expect from A.K.A. Thomas Crown, and the fourth segment is his amuse of whats to come. Everyone can recognize Timbalands talent. Hes a uniquely gifted producer who has a knack for #1 hits, but this doesnt exempt his work from criticism. Even the best miss a step or two (especially if youre dancing next to JT), but even Timbalands tracks that seem to stand still are way better than most R&B/Beat/Rap tracks available. He has nearly reinvented club/dance music by incorporating the pop essentials and Shock Value is a good illustration of what that looks like.

3 / 5 stars

- Jonathan Kroening
http://www.itsjustmusic.net

Highlights:

- Apologize
- Give It To Me
- The Way I Are
- Scream
Rating: 6/10