MITHREADS REVIEWS: Blond by Frank Ocean

05/01/16

Author: Kyle Williams

Since the release of Channel Orange, fans have been rabidly foaming at the mouth for Frank to do ANYTHING at all. In that time, Frank has only become more and more secluded and silent. Summer 2015 saw fans getting ecstatic over the announcement of Boys Don’t Cry, lead to believe that would be the album title, as well as a magazine Frank Ocean was about to drop. Next to no information was given, other than that there would be “Two versions” and a July 2015 release date. July came and went without a word from Frank, and the next year was silent in the Ocean camp, save for a feature on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo, and a few Tumblr blog posts, usually unrelated to the album or music in general. As time passed, fans became more and more bitter and jaded as they followed reports on updates of the album that always ended in disappointment. This is until Endless was streamed online late at night on August 19th, followed by Blond being released on Apple Music the next day.

So here we are in 2016 with a new Frank Ocean album. What of it? Right off the back, this is an evolved Frank Ocean for a number of reasons. Ocean has always been R&B, but now he is even more so. Channel Orange had a lot of pop sensibility to it, with more catchy hooks and more concrete, persistent beats. The pop moments are certainly there, and I’ll get to that, but for the most part, Blond is much more open, and watery at times. It’s a very atmospheric record for the most part. As opposed to singing choruses over the instrumentals, Frank fuses his voice with the rest of the song, making it another instrument. His vocal style for the most part is a loose, almost casual tone that’s somewhere between singing and rapping. His words pour on the instruments like warm syrup on pancakes.

In addition to new methods of song structure, Frank has also been pushing his voice to new places. We all remember the falsettos that made our hearts swoon on “Thinkin Bout You,” and here he continues that on songs like “Nights” while he continues to explore the limits of his vocal range. On the same song, he pitches up his voice in a timid manner to signify a new story he’s telling.

While these plays on vocals are normally intriguing, some do not always work for me. Take for example, “Nikes,” the album’s opener. Imagine waiting 4 years for one of the most acclaimed artist of the last decade to speak a word, let alone drop an album, and the first thing you hear is a chipmunk voice crooning over smooth synths, and it went on for a little too long, in my opinion. It was a jarring first impression that made me a bit worried about the rest of the album upon first listen. However, once Frank really comes in, all worries were out the door. And the song is still good once you get passed the voice in the beginning, the production radiates a comforting vibe.

Experimenting with vocal style is not the only risk Ocean took on this project. Risks are all over the place here. However, Frank took his risks in smart ways. Each is subtly and carefully placed in order to not break cohesion. In between serenades and heart-on-your-sleeve tear jerkers, there are stories about love lost to Facebook, an interlude verse from Andre 3000, who may have dropped the verse of the year if I may be so bold (eat your heart out, Drake), and more. But like I said, these moments are placed in a very calculated way. It all flows together very nicely. This album will have a dance track next to an acoustic ballad next to a hip-hop beat, and it all just feels nice. It all exists comfortably under the warm atmosphere I spoke on earlier that Frank has concocted.

That’s what I like so much about this record. It feels good and it holds my attention. It’s one of the most laid back and mellow albums I’ve heard all year, yet it’s so dense with substance. Frank has been quoted from the beginning of the making of this album that he was influenced by the Beatles and The Beach Boys, artists both known for changing the landscapes of pop music for introducing new sounds from different areas of the world, and that shows. Like I said, there’s many different kinds of music here, and Frank worked with a lot of different kinds of musicians on this project, from Alex G to Tyler, The Creator and Yung Lean. Normally, too many cooks in the kitchen can be a bad thing, but here, I think it creates for an ever-engaging experience where I can find something new in each listen.

So, was Blond worth the wait? I think so. Is it the album of the year? I’m not sure if I can say that yet. Frank Ocean’s music is like wine, it gets better with age. Channel Orange was so beloved because it was all we had for the most part for four years and we kept finding reasons to love it. I think Blond is the same type of album, it needs time to marinate, find something in it for yourself. I can say that since its release, listening to this record is all that I’ve wanted to do with my time. I’ve been trying to be as informative, yet vague as I can so I don’t spoil any of the special moments here. So, I think you should definitely buy the album, and then sit with it. Go home, put it on, close your tune out the rest of the world, and just vibe with it.

​

Favorite songs:

Solo, Pink + White

Similar to:

Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreaks

Childish Gambino - Because The Internet

Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmasterered

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange