In The Tapedeck: Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

You don't know how much you matter until you're all alone ~ Frank Ocean


I imagine that's how Frank Ocean must have felt in the days leading to the early release of his debut album channel ORANGE. With the recent news that Ocean was a bisexual, many critics didn't know how the announcement would affect reaction of his album. It seems like the controversy only helped promote the album, which is on pace to sell over 125,000 copies in the first week, despite being released a week early and exclusively sold through iTunes. While the numbers don't lie, public opinion about if the album lived up to expectation, and it definitely did.


Now, let me start off by saying that if you are not a fan of true, traditional music composition you might want to save your $10 and keep this off the iPod. This is the type of music you play at the top of a penthouse suite on a Friday night in Las Vegas with a bottle of champagne on ice by the mini bar. With one of the most unique musical directions I heard in a long time, Ocean's debut has a vintage feel with a new age perspective.


When listening, there's an obvious focus on songwriting and Ocean's voice. With features limited to fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, and Outkast, the rest of the project solely relies on Ocean himself. While the production on the album helps propel songs likes "Lost", "Monks", and the ten minute single "Pyramids", it's Ocean's vocals on the slower tracks that really show his strength as a musician. Songs like "Sierra Leone" and "Pilot Jones" display Ocean at his best; stripped down instrumentals that allow Frankie's raw emotions to come out through his lyrics. Nothing shows this better than the standout track of the album "Pink Matter", featuring Andre 3000. Over a quiet string section and a crying guitar, the song showcases nothing more than a man and his music.

When I finished listening to Nostalgia, Ultra for the first time I thought nothing more than Ocean being a promising up and coming R&B singer that seemed to have a talent for songwriting. By the end (and I mean literally "End") of channel ORANGE I felt like I could not even compare him to an R&B singer anymore. Frank Ocean has discovered the art of musical improvisation, similar to the way a jazz singer does. When listening to the vocals they are rarely, if ever, doubled. When singing, there are no ad-libs recorded on separate takes. Ocean simply follows where the music takes him. In the same way as Billie Holiday, Ocean lets the melody guide his voice, which only makes his records that more authentic. Now, I'm not saying that this is Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite or Baduizm, but as far as debut albums go this is more than a solid effort. While it might not be a classic, Frank Ocean has made a debut that can be enjoyed by music fans of all genres. With it's authentic feel to it, channel ORANGE delivers in terms of debut solo projects. I recommend you pick this up, even if it's your only purchase of the summer. With music this honest, the replay value is endless, and should be in every music lover's collection.

You can purchase on iTunes here.