Ever wondered what Kanye West would sound like in 808s & Heartbreak, hadn't he been so mad and upset with the world when he recorded it? Probably something not far from this second album by British troubadour Mr. Hudson. There are some explanations for this, starting with the fact that Kanye does appear in some tracks, adding his midas touch as producer and also guest rapper, hum sorry, singer. The second explanation is that Mr Hudson is some sort of English old-school gentleman, with many literary references and a classy background, and is now immersing himself in a completely new and strange world for him, where West Coast R&B is the rule. And the third one is basically just one word: vocoder. Now, besides all this, if I tell you that sometimes he sounds a bit like Sting, don't you just want to hate him immediately? Well, don't throw the knives just yet. Ignoring the fact that the concept behind Straight No Chaser does sound a bit too cynical (basically,"hey let's make him a superstar"), there's actually a sense of genuine sincerity in it, something which is mostly visible in his song-writing. "I’m just a boy from Birmingham, another imposter on a major label roster, how did I get here?" - you have to respect that, right? Add to this the most luxurious beats and glossy hooks this side of, hum, Kanye West, and voilà, here's a solid pop record to enjoy with no preconceptions, and one coming from a somewhat surprising source. (7/10)
Mr Hudson - Supernova (feat. Kanye West)
www.mrhudson.com
www.myspace.com/mrhudson
No comments:
Post a Comment