|
 Whether
in the studio or on the mic, producer/hip-hopper Pharrell Williams has
spent much of the past few years establishing himself as the Big Kahuna
of American pop and R&B.
From creating hits as one half of The Neptunes and giving the likes of
Brittney Spears and Snoop Dog a welcome boost, to knocking out his own
hits with NERD, the name Pharrell Williams has always been synonymous
with cutting edge popular music, and on his debut solo effort, ‘In My
Mind’, Williams uses the same tricks of the trade that made his name to
mixed results.
As is no doubt to be expected, production wise, ‘In My Mind’ is
virtually flawless, throwing a few musical curveballs by venturing into
genres such as hard rock, yet remaining true to the R&B/Hip-hop platform
from which works best.
However, it’s when Williams steps away from the mixing desk and up to
the mic that he falters.
As a singer, Pharrell has no problems providing brief cameos on other
artists’ tunes, but struggles to keep his strength up throughout a whole
song. And whilst, as a rapper he isn’t necessarily *bad*, his divergent
subject matter and standard, text-book delivery are let down by a lack
of passion and originality.
All in all, a decent effort, though perhaps a wake-up call to the
uber-producer himself that maybe he’s best sticking to the day job.
Recommended Links:
www.pharrellwilliams.com - Official Website.
►
Return to Album
Reviews
|
