Anderson Paak recently released his debut album Venice. I have previously talked about his EP of covers and also mentioned his feature on the latest TOKiMONSTA EP.

I like what Anderson Paak offers. He falls some where between Cee Lo Green and Drake. At moments singing soulfully and at others using autotuned hooks and almost narcissist rhymes, I say almost because it seems mostly playful. For example on Milk’N’Honey he portrays a selfish player who gets played. On Drugs his lyrics are questionable but the sound and delivery is fantastic. I may be getting old but I almost feel bad for enjoying this track as much as I do. In interviews I have heard he comes across as mostly humble and happy to be getting attention.

Venice is definitely worth a listen and is a very good debut album. It does fall a little short of what I think Anderson Paak is capable of, not so much in a disappointing way but as a step towards a more mature second album. The production from Lo Def, DJ Nobody, TOKiMONSTA and Anderson is all solid. Lyrically it feels a little immature not really extending beyond simple melodies and story telling but this is countered by the vocal experimentation and quality production. Vocally Anderson uses his voice really well and experiments with different sounds and rhythms that fill the tracks without the need for guests. There is a Venice Los Angeles theme to the album mostly through the interludes but musically the album has a west coast vibe.