With scratchy production and introspective style, Kanye West gets down to the heart of the matter on the first lines of the song "Street Lights:"
Let me know if I still got time to grow/things aint always set in stone.
This song, and the others that comprise his newest release, 808s and Heartbreak, recognize that love is not static and that we should never stop learning about the ones we love. These are songs that are actually sung.
West, well known for his brash claims, reveals an altered ego. Gone are the hallmarks of earlier recordings. The exuberance of "Touch the Sky" is nowhere in sight. And "The Good life?" Forget about it.
Full of yearning, and even a little desperation, these are songs about when life goes wrong. These are songs dedicated to one purpose--a catharsis related to the death of his mother and breakup with his fiance. Much in the vein of Marvin Gaye's 1978 album Here, My Dear, which chronicled the breakup of his marriage (all royalties from the album went to his ex-wife; the album boasted titles like "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You").
Let me know if I still got time to grow/things aint always set in stone.
This song, and the others that comprise his newest release, 808s and Heartbreak, recognize that love is not static and that we should never stop learning about the ones we love. These are songs that are actually sung.
West, well known for his brash claims, reveals an altered ego. Gone are the hallmarks of earlier recordings. The exuberance of "Touch the Sky" is nowhere in sight. And "The Good life?" Forget about it.
Full of yearning, and even a little desperation, these are songs about when life goes wrong. These are songs dedicated to one purpose--a catharsis related to the death of his mother and breakup with his fiance. Much in the vein of Marvin Gaye's 1978 album Here, My Dear, which chronicled the breakup of his marriage (all royalties from the album went to his ex-wife; the album boasted titles like "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You").
Startling and wholly original, this is another amazing album from an artist who continaully pushes the boundaray of what being a "genre artist" is supposed to be about.
West breaks new ground on songs like "Love Lockdown." With an opening that sounds like an elephant's thudding heartbeat, it's an ominous song about a relationship gone awry. It ultimately descents into chaos and would have snugly fit onto the soundtrack of any Stanley Kubrick film.
The album's opener, "Say You Will," goes further with the theme. While Gaye's album boasted "Anger," West goes one better with the lyric: "When I grab your neck/I touch your soul." Mistrust. Anger. Obssession. Hear it for yourself:
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