channel ORANGE
Stepping away from both the pop songwriting machine and his former crew Odd Future’s stoned anarchy, Frank Ocean guides us on a meandering but purposeful journey through his own vast mythological universe on his major-label debut. *Channel ORANGE* breezes from sepia-toned Stevie Wonder homage (“Sweet Life”) to the corrosive cosmic funk of “Pyramids,” which stretches from ancient pharaoh queens to 21st-century pimps. Rendered in pristine detail with calm, dazzled awe, even his most fantastical narratives feel somehow familiar—at once unprecedented and timeless.
© 2012 The Island Def Jam Music Group ℗ 2012 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Frank Ocean has quickly proven himself to be among the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation. His major-label debut swings from Stevie-style keyboard breeziness to 90s R&B to mystic psych rock to crunching 8-bit funk without thinking twice. It already feels like a classic.
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Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE review: A one-man cult and cyanide in my styrofoam cup
Frank Ocean's new album Channel Orange shows the singer has the edge on everyone else, writes Neil McCormick.
Superb debut solo album that single-handedly ups R&B's game. CD review by Nick Levine