Review Summary: What initially appears to be a convoluted mess of featuring artists upon closer examination is revealed as four distinct sections to an album which houses a number of strong singles.
One of the major issues with Timbaland Presents Shock Value isn’t that Timbaland’s incumbent sound is stale or foul, it’s 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 (Omarion’s “Ice Box”, PCD’s “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 Timberlake’s “My Love” so recognizable. An appropriate intro, “Oh Timbaland” leads directly into the lead single, which showcases Timbaland’s 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 you’re 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 Elliot’s and Dr. Dre’s 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, Timbaland’s protégé, and “Bombay”, concluding the third section of the album, is a decent Bollywood meets Timbo joint. “The time has come” for something that’s 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 Timbaland’s 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. Timbo’s groaning at the intro does reminisce of Moby’s “Porcelain” but this is forgivable because the lyrics and melody are outstanding and to Timbaland’s 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 didn’t 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 he’s “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 one’s 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 what’s to come. Everyone can recognize Timbaland’s talent. He’s a uniquely gifted producer who has a knack for #1 hits, but this doesn’t exempt his work from criticism. Even the best miss a step or two (especially if you’re dancing next to JT), but even Timbaland’s 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”
