Malibu (2016) – Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak is a dreamer. Not only did he have to sell weed to make ends meet, but his father left him at a young age. On top of that, he was let go from his job, forcing him and his family into temporary homelessness. Now he’s doing verses for Dr. Dre and guest-starring on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." He’s not mainstream quite yet, but hopefully, it’s only a matter of time.
Rather than taking the easy road of being a cynic about his life, .Paak celebrates his successes and retains a positive attitude throughout his music, encouraging his listeners to do the same. Only on "Malibu's" opening song, “The Bird”, does he let out an avalanche of sorrow from his heart. It’s heartbreaking, beautiful, and it might be the best soul song in years. No other song even comes within striking distance to the near-perfectness of this opener. But don’t let this song fool you into thinking the rest of the record shares the same tone. From there on, most of these songs are good-humored, groovy fun. “Am I Wrong” will almost certainly get you off of your feet, and certain lines from “Silicon Valley” should give you a few laughs. It’s the perfect record for a weekend cookout with family and friends.
.Paak shares similarities to a mutual admirer, Kendrick Lamar, yet it would be unfair to categorize him as the R&B version of the rapper; he’s in a league of his own (God knows how great that collaboration would be though). There’s plenty to love here, plenty of hooks and sounds in this compilation of old and new R&B/soul sounds. Funk accompanies songs like “Put Me Thru” and “Come Down,” and Motown influences loom over “Celebrate.” Some hooks are better than others, and other songs rely on hooks alone, but even then I will happily listen to the one-dimensional “Lite Weight” all the time. And the production, handled mainly by Cali natives, is superb and diverse. Even .Paak himself is a striking producer, having handled four of the songs on here, two of which he produced solo. Surprisingly, the features are necessary and add to the songs rather than take away.
Overall, this is a solid sophomore effort. "Venice" was a less-than thrilling debut and his acclaimed features on Dre’s "Compton" didn’t grab me all too much either; however, here, .Paak finds his footing in poignant soul and a smooth channeling of his emotions. He’s not particularly doing anything new, but he has his own style, something you can’t say for most modern R&B artists. Frank Ocean is out doing whatever with his overdue album, but "Malibu" is something better than a substantial placeholder for those craving that authentic neo-soul sound. And if Frank isn’t here soon, .Paak may just be a more-than viable replacement. What we have here is the first great record of 2016, one that should and will find itself on plenty of year-end lists. A
(Key Tracks: The Bird, The Season/Carry Me, Silicon Valley, Celebrate)