CD name: ‘The Adventures of Bobby Ray’
Artist: B.o.B
Genre: Pop/Hip-hop
Sounds like: Wale and Kid Cudi
Soundwaves: 2/5
Release date: 4/27/10

Temper your expectations. B.o.B delivers an enjoyable but entirely generic product with his major label debut, ‘The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’ Riding the success of recent smashes ‘Nothin’ on You’ and ‘Airplanes,’ the Atlanta artist uses his first album as a talent showcase. And it plays like one — a mere highlight reel that only glances at B.o.B. His potential is intriguing: There are some expertly crafted pop songs here that suggest he has staying power. But poor collaborations and tired subject matter make this album sound like a contemporary cutout, failing to tell Bobby Ray’s story in a fresh way.

Opening track ‘Don’t Let Me Fall’ introduces B.o.B’s tangible skills: a tight flow and a capable singing voice. The pop arrangement of the track doesn’t allow B.o.B to tell a clear story, and it comes across as a halfhearted opening to a supposed concept album. Next comes ‘Nothin’ on You,’ the No. 1 iTunes download that everyone knows — and for good reason. It is an endearing R&B track with infectious melodies and a classic hook, despite run-of-the-mill lyrics from B.o.B. A nice single, but things get problematic with the story from here on out.

B.o.B places the popular, radio-friendly songs in the first half of ‘The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’ This, in turn, robs the album of any conceptual sequencing. The big-name collaboration tracks begin with ‘Past My Shades,’ which features Lupe Fiasco. It has a rock-influenced beat, but the rappers focus on wordplay, not storytelling. Smartly, B.o.B attempts to tell his story for the first time on ‘Airplanes,’ the second smash single. Bobby Ray recalls the old days, when he didn’t have to rap for money and fame. This is a familiar lyrical concept among rappers, which is problematic for B.o.B. He is 21 years old and wildly successful, so his struggle is one that people can connect with.
‘Bet I’ is a generic gangsta track — a poor transition from the contemplative ‘Airplanes’ that preceded it. B.o.B’s flow sounds forced, awkward and amateur in comparison to the next veteran guest T.I. Another head-scratcher comes with ‘Ghost in the Machine,’ a boring electronic ballad that is completely sung by B.o.B. ‘The Kids’ is a vague attempt at social commentary, and it doesn’t work. The low point of the album comes with ‘Magic,’ the obligatory hard rock collaboration. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer contributes a stupid chorus, which has the nerdy rocker singing about hitting the floor and snapping at girls like Flo Rida. Not good.

The last few tracks somewhat redeem the album in terms of song quality. ‘Fame’ is a nice, jazzy beat with horns and live percussion. ‘5th Dimension’ is a good track with breezy rhymes from B.o.B and strong vocals from Ricco Barrino. ‘Airplanes Pt. 2’ ends the album on a dramatic note, building up into a classic, scathing verse from Eminem. The track is solid, but it underscores a larger problem with the album as a whole: B.o.B finds himself completely outclassed by the guest rappers. He should have ditched some of these collaborations in favor of more of his own verses.

The gimmicky album’s concept sets us up for Bobby Ray’s fairy tale, but this is a tale with no plot. B.o.B has a unique story, but his desire to sound relevant distracts from that story. Right now, he just sounds cliché and generic. Bobby Ray is clearly a talented individual who can create good pop songs. But great rappers know how to tell their life stories in different, fresh ways that connect with people. B.o.B’s debut album was his chance to do that, but he chose a different route — one of pop appeal and convention. Sooner or later, B.o.B will have to differentiate his story and style from that of his peers.

ajhaeder@syr.edu
 

Published on May 3, 2010 at 12:00 pm