Why a period before Paak? What is the reason, what is the cause? There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the artist Anderson .Paak, who is undoubtedly making a rocket-fired ascent into stardom ever since 2016 brought us the album Malibu. After that watershed album, he has been featured on tracks from so many eminent artists, from Chance the Rapper to Mac Miller. The “Wicked Neat Music Video” featured this time on the periodic is the funky and downright wicked video for .Paak’s gem of a song “Come Down”, nestled comfortably in the back half of Malibu.
I am definitely going to sound like a broken record on this next soft tangent. As a matter of fact, I know a few people who are already beginning a slow eye-roll as I dabble once again in the admiration for Anderson .Paak’s Malibu (2016).
At the end of this decade I intend to try to put together a Top 20 of the decade (2010s), which will hopefully start a fevered discourse from many friends on what belongs in the Top 20. One thing I know for sure is Malibu will be high on the list – it is a perfect album.
The criteria is fairly simple- the album is perfectly composed- complete with flawless segue/interludes between tracks, songs that blend into one another seamlessly, and an album that builds over time with stand out tracks in the beginning, middle, and end. Finally, the production of the tracks is second to none. Madlib, 9th Wonder, Kaytranada, and Hi-Tek all made contributions to an album that was truly a collaboration between .Paak and some the most talented and inventive minds in R&B today.
Many have said the instrumentation is sparse and simple, which might be true at the beginning and end of the album, but what makes this album brilliant is how it builds in so many different ways. The first couple tracks are simple in construction – take “Waters” – the third cut on the album.
“The Bird” and “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance” are simple but spirited, as they introduce us to the unique stylings of Anderson .Paak very quickly. Much like the way Will Toledo wove his voice into the background as another instrument amplifying the effect of his songs (in a very different way, of course, see previous post), Anderson .Paak does the same in these first three tracks. He uses his voice as a backing harmony sound so neatly spliced between and within the tracks that it adds a complexity often omitted from the instrumentation. I appreciate that Anderson chose to use more live instruments, more simple guitars, and rhythm sections, as opposed to the route we see most R&B going, which is a lot of computer-generated beats with maybe a few keys to make the sound less stiff. Most modern R&B and Hip-Hop production certainly lacks the kind of ebullient church-going joy you hear in .Paak’s soul songs, which embrace backing vocals (both his own and many female backings) and the warmth and authenticity of a studio band.
However, another reason this is such an amazing album is the nature of the sound, being both inventive and nostalgic. I think of it much like an entire album with the same feel as Steely Dan’s song “Reelin’ in the Years”. It’s a straightforward sound, but unique in the feeling of warmth and odes to past R&B and soul sounds, specifically California-brand soul. Bright, shimmering guitars and easy groove music all glisten with nostalgia. The modern aspect (much like Steely Dan’s “talkie” stanzas in “Reelin’ In The Years”) is Anderson .Paak’s muscle of a voice and technical prowess as an MC. His flow is undeniably unique and skilled, with inventive wording, concepts, and style. That rasp is not as deep as Kendrick’s, albeit a bit reminiscent, yet far more effervescent and saturated with that California “sheen” that has always been a hallmark of the West Coast contingency. He’s fantastic at wearing many hats, be it the one of a rapper, singer, or improvisationalist. I like to think of Anderson .Paak’s music like a good shoulder rub from a beautiful woman; those soft and supple hands are like the groove and repetitive nature of the instruments, while the shoulders belong to a powerful bodybuilder – the muscle that is Anderson .Paak’s voice.
Arcs are another component of this album making it so great. The interludes utilizing old soundbites from surfer movies and surfer documentaries are very cool. They add to that feeling of nostalgia, specifically for Anderson’s drive to make the West Coast a prominent flavor in his tracks – yet this only provides half of the album’s arcs. The other half is a bit more subtle, yet far more crucial to helping this album reach another level. The complexity of the tracks builds from simple and soulful with the first four to something far more modern and complex with the tracks “Put Me Thru” and “Am I Wrong”. We reach a fever pitch in terms of uniqueness and complexity with the track “Parking Lot”, which echoes with shimmering delayed guitars and a layering of both synths, drums, and Anderson’s self-backing vocals.
The other two “more complex” tracks sitting in the middle of the album, first “Put Me Thru”, one of the more aggressive songs on what is otherwise a pretty groove-based and West Coast mellow.
Then there’s the more club-oriented, dancey “Am I Wrong”. It feels a bit like the type of vibe song that would be played in an underwater disco lounge, a spicy aquarium if you will, with stingrays and jellyfish floating above a glass-arched ceiling.
The following track is another gem, one I believe I have already mentioned in a Modern Soulness mix post. It’s the sublime track “Without You”, which uses a sample of Hiatus Kayote to add a nice underlay to Anderson’s skilled verses. After this track and the spirited hit “Room In Here”, it may sound like the album is winding-down into a subdued finish when the tracks “Water Fall (Interluuube)” and “Your Prime” mellow everything out. However, this is far from the case, because then “Come Down” blasts through the speakers and gets everybody back up and dancing. It’s the featured video at the top of the post, and along with “Am I Wrong”, are featured on several commercials and telecasts. This is one of the reasons I really love this album: it has all of these amazing songs on the back half of the album that make this a complete and unified vision. The beginning is great, slowly creeping into a groove on “The Bird”, then the middle gives us some classic R&B gems like “Put Me Thru” and “Without You”, and the end is a perfect capper.
“Celebrate” (the most direct parallels to 70’s soul reminiscence)
“The Dreamer” (such a great epic song to end on)
I consider it an epic tandem, one replete with hope and messages of encouragement to all those listening. The songs “Celebrate” and “The Dreamer” are just that – a joyful and uplifting finale leaving us listeners in a positive mood. These are classic-feeling songs with burgeoning hope and lively lyrics. The arc is completed with the tandem. It all started with those first few tracks where we also heard simple instrumentation, especially the rhythm section. The straightforward production of the last couple of tracks allows the vocals/lyrics to really shine, and also allows for a deliberate wind-down to what has been a fantastic, comprehensive, and fully-integrated album. We’ve gone from simple and honest to a middle that is complex and “modern”, back to a simpler and nostalgic ending – a great arc tied back to the beginning.
If you haven’t listened to Anderson .Paak’s other projects, those are also highly recommended. However, I bet most R&B aficionados out there are already versed in these entries, especially the NxWorries (Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak collaboration) album Yes Lawd! (2016). This is another masterpiece from Anderson .Paak that leans heavily towards a production with samples and “Cut & Paste” type production. The album has also been categorized as Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop, two genres Anderson fused together naturally on Malibu and Venice (2014).
A good example of the type of Neo-Soul vibe and sample beats from Yes Lawd!, is the track “Suede”.
The more obscure albums that might be worth a listen are the ones’ from Knxwledge, the second half of NxWorries. I picked up both Hud Dreems (2015) and Kauliflowr (2013). These are both nice groove-based “Cut & Paste” albums sampling modern R&B and vintage R&B/Soul albums to form a collage of sounds akin to J Dilla and The Avalanche. What I like most about these Knxwledge albums is how easily they fit into a good laid back lounge sound. I can put them on in the background while doing work or just relaxing and they fit the vibe.
As I always say, I am really pumped for Anderson .Paak’s next endeavor. Most people are getting antsy, waiting anxiously for his next release. The consensus is that he is preparing for a BIG 2018 – with possibly two LPs being released this year. It looks like he’s got something in the works called Oxnard (2018) (his hometown, a coastal California town just west of LA). However, most reports are the releases this year are still both ‘TBD’ in terms of album title and album release. Either way, if it sounds anything like the single he released earlier this year “Bubblin”, it’s going to be outrageously great. The swagger and confidence he exudes on all his work only seems to be amplified with his current success. He’s becoming an eminent performer, venerated by peers and regarded as one of the best in the game. On this track, the swagger is oozing from every pore. It’s another good capper, one for this post especially.
