So, apparently Dr. Dre's last album Compton was pretty good... I wouldn't know because it streams exclusively on Apple Music, but I've also heard that a big part of why that album is so good is because of Anderson .Paak, a soul singer from California. He's been around for a while dropping mixtapes, but Malibu is his major label debut, and it's a really sweet slice of Soul and R&B with just a sprinkling of Hip-Hop that is completely engrossing from start to finish.
And that's surprising, because Malibu is over an hour long, and very few debut albums give us this much quality content in the age of he digital single. Also, the fact that this album is so cohesive without feeling repetitive is testament to how great a songwriter .Paak really is. For instance, the opener "The Bird" is so soulful and gentle; it's the perfect start to an album that never rises above a harsh whisper, and instead puts the listener into a laid-back and warm vibe throughout its run-time.
The following track "Heart Don't Stand a Chance" is absolutely fantastic; it grooves so effortlessly and even displays .Paak's rapping chops, which he does a few other points on the album, all of which are really solid. If I had to point to another album that Malibu reminds me of, it would have to be last year's incredible To Pimp A Butterfly; both albums come from a similar place musically, though perhaps .Paak is more on the sunny side than Kendrick was on that album.
Other great moments on this album include "Am I Wrong" which features a great verse from Schoolboy Q, and he the following track "Without You" which features a hilarious verse from TPAB MVP Rhapsody. Also, the soulful "Celebrate" and the funky "Come Down" are major highlights as well. Perhaps the only track that wasn't great to me was "Silicon Valley"; the lyrics were just a bit too tongue in cheek for me, still, it's not a bad tune by any means.
Really, I could go through and describe every track (they all deserve it), but I'll keep it short and simply say that if you're a fan of any of the genre's that I listed at the start of this review, you owe it to yourself to give Malibu a listen. It's a bit long for a casual listen, but it's so worth it.
8.8/10
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