speeddemon531's Full Review: When I Get You Alone [Single] by Thicke
Just to clarify...this is actually a review of the single...the actual review appears in the second paragraph. The rest of the space here is devoted to Thicke's upcoming debut album. There's not a listing for the album yet, and I haven't heard the whole thing yet, but I'm pretty excited about it and wanted to share some initial thoughts with you, the kind reader :)
Most folks may think Robin Thicke is a new face. Quite the contrary. The son of actors Alan Thicke (AKA “Growing Pains” patriarch Jason Seaver) and Gloria Loring (who acted in “Days of Our Lives” and also had a dreadful Top 5 hit in the 80’s called “Friends and Lovers”), Robin (who goes by his last name professionally) has served as a songwriter/producer for almost a decade. He’s crafted hits for artists ranging from 3T to Mya to Marc Anthony and Christina Aguilera. He also co-wrote and produced most of the excellent and wildly underrated debut solo album from ex-NKOTB Jordan Knight. With the single “When I Get You Alone” and his upcoming debut album “Cherry Blue Skies” (due in December), Thicke exposes himself as a funky singer and musician in the vein of his hero Prince.
“When I Get You Alone” is probably the most common-sounding of the songs I’ve heard from the album so far. The song is sampled from Walter Murphy’s disco hit “A Fifth of Beethoven”, which itself was a funkified version of Beethoven’s Fifth symphony. Thicke sings (in a voice somewhat reminiscent of blue-eyed soul brother Jon B) about a girl he meets and wants to get some…uh…private time with. He leads up to the booming chorus in a breathless fashion, giving the uptempo song a sense of urgency along with the booming bottom and soaring strings. Thicke’s lyrics are witty and confident. At one point, he sings “baby girl, you da sh!%/that makes you my equivalent”. A classic line to a great party-starting song.
Through the lovely world of file-sharing, I’ve managed to get a taste of some of the other songs from Thicke’s album and this guy is a superstar in the making. During the album, he mixes influences ranging from Sly & The Family Stone (“Let’s Have A Baby” is vaguely reminiscent of “Hot Fun in the Summertime”), to experimental-style Prince (“Suga Mama” could’ve easily come off of “Parade” or “Sign O The Times”).
His music is a fusion of old-school funk, classic soul and heavy rock. “Brand new Jones” has a sing-along chorus and a groove that takes you back to the post-disco late Seventies or early Eighties. “Alright” balances the funk against some heavy guitar, and “Vengas Conmigo” gives off a Latin groove.
The most interesting of the songs I’ve heard so far is “Oh Shooter”. Apparently based on a real-life bank robbery Thicke witnessed, this song is a retro jam which Thicke sings in falsetto, which will instantly bring about D’angelo comparisons. The refrain “put your hands up” is repeated throughout the song, putting it in a waaay different context than you’d normally hear it on the average rap song!
Though I’ve only heard bits and pieces of “Cherry Blue Skies” up till now. It’s definitely anticipated by me. The album does, however, sound seriously uncommercial, but hopefully will find a home in the sound systems of those who appreciate the stylings of the “neo-soul” movement or those of us who haven’t thrown out our Sly or Stevie records yet.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
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