channel ORANGE - Frank Ocean

SHIT, I wasn't home at all Sunday until about 8:30pm and I got home from a weekend. So that's why I didn't have a review go up. Well today I'm going to do one, and I will do one everyday until the 22nd, because I missed that on day. This is a review of the debut album by Frank Ocean of OFWGKTA. He recently came out as bisexual, which I don't think ends the world, but I am curious to what Tyler has to say about it. Anyway, this is was released by Def Jam Recordings, and it has a few features on it. John Mayer, Andrè  3000. It also features Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, The Creator both from OFWGKTA. Frank also collaborated with a couple producers on this, and also songwriters. In the songwriting credits the name that appears most is Frank's but the second most is James Ryan Ho, better known as Malay. He helped write 11 of the 18 tracks on this album. I was actually surprised to see that 1 or 2 of the tracks didn't even feature Frank's name in the songwriting credits.Well anyway, I was excited to hear this, until I forgot about it, then I heard about it again and lost track of time and tada its on iTunes. And honestly I didn't care for it first time through. But I heard it twice so yeah.

1. Start: This is the intro, it kind of gives me a vibe of Nostalgia, Ultra. Like the intro to that.
2. Thinkin Bout You: This song isn't that bad of a song, and a good start. I think that this is a pretty cool song to. I honestly think that this beat and the vibe of it is smooth. The high pitch vocals kind of remind me of Marvin Gaye, but he can't sing as good as Marvin.
3. Fertilizer: This is just an interlude. This is only 40 seconds long. The concept about it reminds me a little of The Who's 1967 third album The Who Sell Out. The way they had like "commercials" in the album.
4. Sierra Leone: This song is ok. I don't think that it's that amazing. This reminds me of the atmosphere on Echoes of Silence and Houses of Balloons. When the strings come in it kind of sounds like Marvin Gaye's 1971 Whats Going On's title track.
5. Sweet Life: I could care less for the lyrics in the song. The music in it is pretty and kind of jazzy, but I don't care for the lyrics. I like the concept, again, but not some of them. I think that it would be more accurate to say certain lyrics. But that's how I felt with American Wedding off his mixtape. This is really a R&B song though. There is this piano sounds on it that reminds me of part of the song Bitches Brew off the 1970 album of the same name by Miles Davis.
6. Not Just Money: This song sets up the theme of the next song. It has people talking
7. Super Rich Kids: Though Earl is on this song, I think that this song is pretty solid. I like the concept and idea, but I don't like parts of the song. The chorus of this song just irritated me. I was pretty turned off first listen. But second time though it grew on me. I like Earl's verse to. This is a slow, stomping, beated song. I feel like it is perfect where it is. I honestly feel like Tyler, The Creator produced this song.
8. Pilot Jones: This song reminds me a little of Houses of Balloons. But not as good as the mix tape.
9. Crack Rock: I don't care for this song that much either. I think it's ok, but it doesn't keep my intrest. I don't like the chorus.  I kind of feel like BADBADNOTGOOD might of helped with the beat on this song.
10. Pyramids: This is a really cool song. Probably my favorite song on the album. I think that the instrumentation on this is really cool. The lyrics talk about Egypt, Cleopatra, prostitution and other stuff to. I love the feeling I get when I hear this song This song starts out with this feeling of "epicness". Kind of like this is going to be a long trip. When Frank's voice comes in I think that is is pretty. I think that the song doesn't necessarily have to be so long, but what ever. The first instrumental break is very pretty and cool sounding. It sounds like synths engulf the song. The synths kind of reminds me a little of the final section of MGMT's 12:10 epic Siberian Breaks, off 2010's Congratulations. A part of the keys to remind me a little of I Found A Whistle, which is on the same MGMT album as Siberian Breaks. I do really like this song, but I kind of think that around 5:30 is where the song gets kind of old. I don't think it has to be a 9:54. If the song wasn't kind of boring in the middle of it, then it would be different. But I do think that this is still a really good song. I couldn't though, picture it shorter than 10 minutes. I feel like the song kind of goes into too much repetition, like seiously. The ending also kind of reminds me of the Siberian Breaks. Actually I'd be shocked if they didn't sample that song.
11. Lost: This song is ok, but it's not as good as the last song. Usually, for me, after an epic it's hard to live up to the greatness of the big song. Well I think it's fine, but its not that mind blowing.
12. White: I like this song, it's an instrumental, but it's a good break form the album.
13. Monks: I feel like the title Monks gives a prelude, though it's over 3 minutes long, to the next idea on the album. I like that this also starts out with a church organ intro to it. This is kind of a song that I could be seen being played, with different lyrics, at a church of African Americans. But not the entire song, just certain parts.
14. Bad Religion: I liked this song. I think that the intro to this song fits the song and idea. The whole religious feeling that is going on fits perfect. This really is a very good religious song about his true feelings about religion and beliefs. I respect that he does that, and that he is willing to share it. After listening to this, I don't know how many times, I finally understand the song. It mentions he has problems with religion because it forbids him from loving his "man". Though, from what I understand, he isn't in a relationship with. Like if he wanted to it couldn't happen.
15. Pink Matter: This song has Andrè 3000 on it, and first time through, it was one of my favorite tracks on it. This song is ok for Ocean's part, but Andre makes it. I think that this kind of reminds me a little of The Weeknd. Specifically more of a The Birds Part 2 off his 2nd mixtape Thursday. Then when Andre comes in it kind of reminds me a little of the way Same Old Song off Echoes of Silence ends with the guys voice at the ending. But it also sounds pretty cool.
16. Forrest Gump: Honestly, the way this song starts out, I could see this being more Bad Religion. This is a pretty sounding song. I honestly don't know if this is about him loving another man, or about the character, or a tribute to him. This is a pretty song though. I actually like this song. I think that it's a better song on this, and one of my favorite songs on this.
17. End: I wish that Forrest Gump and End flowed together better. This is a cool sounding song. But I am not huge on the underwater feeling. I do kind of like it, but I wish it wasn't that way. I could care less about the sounds around it. This song kind of reminds me of Nostalgia, Ultra. in the way that is kind of has sounds

Overall I give this a 8/10. I couldn't say what I thought first time through. I kind of got a feeling of The Weeknd's third mixtape Echoes of Silence. Which bugs me because I feel like he is trying to be more like him. Just the way some of the beats on some of the songs are. Like Sierra Leone and Thinkin Bout You. There is other stuff going on, but The main beat. I do think that this is kind of like Whats Going On, in way of this is his. It's a sweet thing and I think that you may enjoy it. I feel like my feeling contridict at times, but like his last mixtape, some tracks grow on me, some don't.