Memoirs May Be Not Be Perfect But It's Pretty Darn Close
Written: Oct 24 '09 (Updated Oct 24 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: H.A.T.E.U., insanely cohesive and well put together, smooth production, interludes/reprises, booklet
Cons: intimidating length, a few skippable tracks, sometimes hard to discern lyrics
The Bottom Line: Mariah Carey makes a record that fuses elements of her pre-hip hop and post-hip hop material to wonderful results. One of my favorite records so far this year.
insomniac1587's Full Review: Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel [Digipak] by Mariah ...
The media always seems to focus on the comeback angle of just about any popstar; if you've been away for a while, any significant period of time it seems, you're pretty much guaranteed a fair amount of press. I like to think that it's because in the current music industry, where it seems no one can leave the spotlight for more than a year before getting antsy about losing their spot, fans don't seem to have the type of attention span they once did. What is generally failed to garner much focus is what happens after the comeback? Is the momentum sustained and the artist is propelled into new heights of popularity? Or do you see a trickle effect, showing just how cyclical the music industry can be?
In 2005, Mariah Carey was on top of the world. After a pretty down four years or so, the Glitter effect had seemingly been exorcised, as The Emancipation of Mimi became the number one album of the year and We Belong Together nearly equaled the once untouchable record of Carey's One Sweet Day with 14 weeks on top of the Hot 100. An artist who had once dominated the music industry, at least on a sales front, had risen to heights she had not seen in some years, which was one of the more pleasurable times in my nearly 20 years as a Mariah Carey fan. However, her time at the top was short-lived; though Touch My Body rocketed to number one, the album it came from wasn't the runaway success that Mimi was. She still had one of the best selling albums of the year but it was obvious that her momentum was slowing. With Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, her fifth studio album of the decade, does she regain it?
Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue) works both as an introduction to the record and a stand alone track. A lot darker and menacing than your typical Mariah Carey track, it seethes and sighs in dismissive cadences, the taunting tongue twisting hook accompanied by a knowing laugh. It's a revenge track done well, heavy strings and lonesome keys providing a solid opening to what will be an interesting record. Lead single Obsessed was used as a shot at Eminem, after comments were made about Mariah on a track on Em's comeback album Relapse, released earlier this year. It's one of the more "hip hop" tracks on the record, thundering production housing a sarcastic kiss-off that is surprisingly well-written. It's not rocket science or anything remotely sophisticated, but as a "battle track", it's effective and showcases the sense of humor that Carey has been known for among her fans. Upcoming third single H.A.T.E.U. is one of the best songs she's done in her career, in my opinion. Dreamy and introspective, it's seeped in emotion, making it extremely affecting and relatable. It's sad but not in a depressing way; it's mostly sad in an oh-I've-been-there-and-that-feeling-sucks kind of way. The production is lilting and soft, adding a few guitar strums and some wistful keys for atmospheric purposes. With the last verse really driving home the confliction and confusion, Carey's voice is admirably delicate and supple, at times on the verge of tears, at times empowered and self-assured.
Candy Bling reminds me of something that I just can't seem to put my finger on. Over a bed of lush snaps and synths, this early 90s throwback nugget of icy cool r&b recalls Carey's childhood and first ventures into love, namely anklets, skipping school, and falling asleep with her boyfriend on the phone. It does this without seemingly too hokey or cheesy, as Carey finds herself wishing that she could make time stop and yearning for the days of simple crushes. The melody is effortless and tender, utilizing the sample of Ahmad's Back in the Day quite well. Modern without being patronizing, old school without being too dated, it's simply a wonderful listen and a direction I would appreciate her exploring more on the next album. If there were any song on here that could be called a "lowlight", it would be the slightly industrial/cold Ribbon, though it's more than a solid listen. With Carey wishing she had 20 billion hours to caress her mystery suitor and recalling him whispering in her ear, it's romantic but the emotion isn't something that comes to the forefront right off, especially since this is one of the few times that another voice makes an appearance on the record (it's quite distorted and stays for the entire time, a little distracting and unnecessary). It's not as warm as some of the other love songs on the record, at least in the production aspect, but Carey's vocals are a little sassy and done with a flirty swagger that make the song better than it would have been in another's hands. Standing O is the song that most resembles something The Dream (who, along with collaborator Tricky Stewart, produces the bulk of the record) would do, though it's not necessarily a bad thing. Continuing with the trend of the attitudinal songs, it has a noticeable strut to it, the sour bridge and anthemic chorus leaving a definite impression. By the time the stirring ad libs come around, Carey has you hook, line, and sinker, as she's freed a bit from the constrains of the production. The Dream's material is always very tightly produced, so a vocalist like Carey can sometimes be smothered if she's not careful. Thankfully, it never gets to that point and the song ends on a positive note. Up Out My Face follows the trend of Shake it Off and Cruise Control in terms of its sound, a kind of bouncy kiss off filled with extremely light hearted put downs and turns of phrase that are lost in her sometimes muddled delivery (which shows hints of the accent that dominated Cruise Control). Upon examining the lyrics, you're more than likely going to be extremely impressed and laughing at the type of material that is squeezed in (which I was and I indeed laughed several times) or you're going to be put off by how "juvenile" the lyrics come off. It's confident, self-aware, and a song that shows just how in control she can be whenever you know she's feeling the material.
More Than Just Friends is more than likely going to be on my "going out" playlist, as it's just a feel good, strut-along track that doesn't take itself too seriously. Using a sample of Notorious B.I.G.'s One More Chance on the hook, this is flirty and quite cheeky, a girly exercise in Mariah's usually over-the-top personality. With lines about Duncan Hines yellow cake, ceratto, and McDonald's, you know that this is more of a track directed to husband Nick Cannon (which several of the songs seem to imply), so some of the more unusual references are naturally forgiven as a lovestruck newlywed shouting her love for her man from the rooftops. The Impossible finds Mariah getting in touch with her sexy side, something that I highly encourage, as some of her best material has come from her more carnal side. Written almost as a companion to the predecessor, it's sultry and steamy, as Carey says she wants to do things she probably shouldn't mention and goes on to sample Jodeci in a very creative way that adds to the track's quality. At the heart of the song, it's about someone who gets rescued from being alone and being surprised at how hard you fall in love. It's lush and erotic, deeply personal yet at its core, this is a song for anybody who has been in love. Second single I Want to Know What Love Is ends the record on an interesting note. Chopping off part of one of the verses and heading into the choir section with a fury, it's a powerful listen with one heck of a vocal performance; Carey showcases passion and grit that indicate that maybe the lyrics hit a little close to home. It seems that the gospel-tinged closing track is a trend that Carey is continuing, as the last two records she's done have featuring something a little more "adult" to close things off, though all three have been more than quality listens. With a simple intro and peaceful first chorus, it has a nice build; it's short length actually works in its favor, favorably lending itself to repeat listens.
Generally, I don't mention the interludes, reprises, or skits on a record, since they almost never make a difference in terms of the listening experience. They always seem to just kind of be there to take up space and clutter up what would have been an otherwise solid record. However, Carey's actually work in her favor, as they either take a different sonic view of the corresponding song or they offer an interesting preview of said song. On one side of the fence is Up Out My Face (The Reprise), a marching band-led interpretation of the song of the same name. It's less than a minute and might not be a track that you go to right off, but hearing a Mariah song done in such a different medium is actually quite interesting. Within the context of playing the record from front to back, it works even moreso. Mostly instrumental, The Impossible (The Reprise) carries the same type of feminine sensuality that its predecessor had, replaying a few of the lyrics from said song but mostly serving as a song to "vibe" to, the Jodeci sample intermittently playing in the background. Angel (The Prelude) is very dreamy and almost mystical in sound, wall to wall whistle notes and pounding keys helping to create an introduction to Angels Cry. Again, it clocks in at around a minute, so it doesn't have such a tremendous presence on the record, but it's the interlude that I would have liked to see be fully realized into a full length song. Another interlude that could have been made into a strong full song is the stunning Languishing (The Interlude), something that will make you think of Carey's early material and the gospel-leaning material from her last couple of records (especially I Wish You Well). It showcases the solid lyricist that Mariah is and never gets credit for being, gently fading into the last song of the record with a lot of poise and refreshing amount of class.
Does Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel regain the momentum of 2005 Mariah Carey? Yes and no. Artistically, this is her best record since Butterfly, a quality fusion of Carey's soulful vocals and hip hop savvy that signals a refreshing change to the direction of her music. Gone are the Jermaine Dupri ballads (which grew forced and cliche' by the time E=MC2 came out in April 2008), the guest rapper appearances, and any shred of evidence that Mariah is simply following trends in order to appease her younger-skewing fanbase. This record is certainly nothing groundbreaking or startlingly raw, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a highly enjoyable collection of music from one of the most legendary female artists in the music industry. Memoirs may not be burning up the charts (it's sold around 250 thousand in its first three weeks of release), but it doesn't have to be a sales behemoth to accomplish something. It feels like a transitional record, one in which Mariah's trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to sound like at the next stage in her career. While it would be advisable for a decent-sized break to come after this record has run its course, Mariah Carey has more than proven herself in the industry and can do as she pleases. If she's making music like Candy Bling, H.A.T.E.U., and Betcha Gon' Know, it may be time for the record labels to finally let this angel fly wild and free.
Tracklisting Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue) Obsessed H.A.T.E.U. Candy Bling Ribbon Inseparable Standing O It's a Wrap Up Out My Face Up Out My Face (The Reprise) More Than Just Friends The Impossible The Impossible (The Reprise) Angel (The Prelude) Angels Cry Languishing (Interlude) I Want to Know What Love Is
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is packaged in a beautiful 3-panel softpack. A must-have for all Mariah fans, it will include: The CD A 2nd Enhanced CD ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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