G I R L

Pharrell Williams

Columbia, 2014

http://pharrellwilliams.com

REVIEW BY: Mark Millan

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/19/2014

In 2006, when masterful singer-songwriter, producer, hit-maker, guest star and whatever else Pharrell Williams released his debut solo album (In My Mind), it fell fast and hit hard.  The album’s lack of success or critical acclaim was one thing, but it must have been a bitter pill for Williams to swallow considering the innumerable amount of songs he had helped (in one way or another) turn into hits. Not to mention the countless guest spots he did on so many of his peers’ albums. 

His writing and co-writing credits go on forever, dating back over the last decade and when In My Mind failed to excite even his most hardcore fan base, I found myself thinking that maybe he was destined to be a gun-for-hire singles man forever. Nothing wrong with that at all, but when an artist seemingly has as much potential and talent that Williams does, it is kind of baffling as to why he isn’t enjoying success on his own albums. Understandably there is a big difference between writing a few songs here and there and writing a full album every few years, but given the sheer number of regular collaborators Williams works with, you would think it couldn’t be that hard a task.

 Finally in 2014 we have just the second solo album release of Williams’ career, and with the first one being so flat and uninspired, it’s no surprise that this second one is much better than the first.  By no means a masterpiece—at no one point does it reach spectacular heights—my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 GIRL is lots of fun and has a cool, consistent, ambient vibe right throughout the record. Williams wrote and produced the album himself and there are (surprisingly) only a few guest artists to help out across the ten tracks. 

Thematically, GIRL is all about women and how much Williams loves and respects them, as well as enjoying their company after sundown. Much has been made of that concept, which has been described as Williams’ response to the criticism heaped on “Blurred Lines,” a song he produced and co-wrote with Robin Thicke that delivers a harsh portrayal of a certain type of woman. (Some protests suggesting that the song actually advocated rape.)

Whatever the reasoning behind the concept, it makes for an enjoyable, harmless listen with not even the obligatory warning label that accompanies most r&b and pop releases these days. Throughout the disc there are expressions of love and joy, and musically it is a fun ride as it delves into the retro lightweight funk sounds of the late seventies and eighties (think Chic, Michael Jackson, Prince). The opening track “Marilyn Monroe” is one of the strongest on the record and harbors some great Barry White-style orchestration. Disappointingly, though, the song isn’t about the Hollywood icon, she is just referenced in the chorus. The insanely catchy and delirious “Happy” (from Despicable Me 2) is here and also is a high point, proving that Williams has some fine, if limited, vocal chops. 

Justin Timberlake appears for the sweet Chic-inspired “Brand New” and it’s kind of freaky how much alike JT and Pharrell sound, though the track on this one is minimal and it doesn’t really lift off like it should.  Alicia Keys pops on “Know Who You Are,” but again, it’s just a cool and breezy track that isn’t really a stretch for either artist. The two best songs on the record come together early on with “Hunter” and “Gush,” which both sound inspired by classic Prince, but don’t think for a minute they get anywhere near a “Kiss” or “U Got The Look.”

Overall, GIRL is a fine, inoffensive album that proves Williams can fill out a full album of his own material and hold your interest in the process. It sounds like he is holding back, afraid to really unleash his full bag of tricks, but for the sound and vibe he was going for on GIRL, he nailed it right down and that’s probably all you can ask for.

Rating: B

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


Comments

 








© 2014 Mark Millan and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Columbia, and is used for informational purposes only.