Justin Timberlake Helps Us All See In 20/20

Hello everyone and welcome back to another outing of ROCK D3C0D3D where this week we're looking at.... a pop album? Yes indeed, it seems my nostalgia has gotten the better of me and I feel bound to review the newest effort by pop star Justin Timberlake, entitled The 20/20 Experience. Now I feel that if you have not already heard of Justin Timberlake (here on referred to as "JT") than I would like to know the rock you've been hiding under so I may escape the still going "Bieber Fever" and the awful disgrace to boy bands known as "One Direction." But I digress, JT was born Justin Randall Timberlake on January 31, 1981 in Memphis Tennessee. At age 11, he premiered on the television show Star Serach as "Justin Randall" and a year later became apart of The Mickey Mouse Club, with others such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and most importantly JC Chasez. JC ended up becoming the pivotal player in recruiting JT into an all-male group known as 'N Sync. From there, we know he became a writer and one of the lead singers eventually culminating in the bands hiatus in 2002. JT wasted no time trudging ahead though as he released his own album Justified in November the same year becoming a stand alone household name. After releasing FutureSex/LoveSounds in 2004 he went on a brief hiatus from music itself pursuing other goals such as acting, purchasing a gold course, and a few stints on the show Saturday Night Live, making his music career look like nothing more than a fleeting memory. But finally in 2013 JT announced he was returning with an all-new album, The 20/20 Experience in February that was quoted as having "no rules and/or end goal in mind." Without further ado let's jump in and see what JT has to offer us!

 

In case it was not subtle enough 20/20 refers to eyes.

The Singles:

So far only two singles have been released for The 20/20 Experience the first of which is a mid-tempo R&B collaboration with Jay-Z entitled "Suit & Tie." To be honest I had avoided hearing this song until the album released because I prefer to hear where a song fits in its album before determining if it's good or bad but, sadly it just does not do it for me. I enjoy the music as the horns, drums, synth, and swirling strings offer a huge diversity from what's on the radio today but it's the lack of depth in the vocal performance that keeps me from loving it. JT doesn't sound like he's having less fun on the song than others such as "Pusher Love Girl" or "That Girl." I won't go into much about Jay-Z's performance besides the fact that it's there and that seems to be the sentiment Jay-Z gives during it.

The second single "Mirrors" though truly blew me away, reminding me of everything I loved about Justin Timberlake. It is about a man who has realized the woman he wants and would do anything to keep them ("Show me how to fight for now...) as they are his heart  From the victorious sound of the guitar/synth introduction to the drop-off consisting of his beat box drums (which I totally want), the sparkling strings, and JT seemingly giving his all in the performance it's definitely the stand out single on this album.

The Rest Of The Album:

A lofty bit of the album suffers from the problems that plague "Suit & Tie" as the songs are pretty shallow, "have fun at the club/with JT and lose your mind." There is nothing wrong with this though as it is a fun trip throughout and for the detailed listener, you'll always find something new to hone in on upon repeat listens. The one thing I do marvel at this album though is the fact that these are some long songs, with the album capping out at 79 minutes after only 10 songs. To put this in perspective the 20-song double album I reviewed by Coheed and Cambria was roughly 78 minutes for both. That's insane to think that one Pop album is as long as two prog-rock albums when pop music is mainly made to be quick and make money at a timing of three minutes and thirty seconds. Moreover, I find myself only truly becoming sick of a few songs on the album and skipping forward because hearing JT experiment with the song is something that definitely needs to be heard.

  

"Wait I'm the musical guest? Cheap bastards"

The first song is entitled "Pusher Love Girl" which start the album off with power with soaring strings leading to a very groovy bass and piano riff. The song main stance is entirely new as JT compares a girls "love" to a drug and her being his dealer in the scenario but it's his classic falsetto and suave demeanor that make this song such a great listen. But be warned, it's over eight minutes long so it can be a trek but a rewarding one that's sentiment is at least better than the next few songs.

"Don't Hold The Wall" can be grouped up with the song like "Let The Groove Get In" which are fun songs about getting up and enjoying your surroundings (in this case a club). Their difference really come in the music with "DHTW" going for an African Safari feel and beat that is very slow paced while "LTGGI" starts as a gypsy-esuqe chant that eventually goes crazy with horns and synth before falling off to it's chant and piano. "Let The Groove Get In" definitely is the most energetic and my pick for better song of the two.

"That Girl" just starts fun with a man welcoming JT and The Tennessee Kids  on stage which starts such a great jazz infuzed song incorporating horns, guitars, a metronome click popping up, and "steel raked" drums. The vocals are a testament from JT to an unamed girl that they will be together no matter how different they are and what people say ("I don't care if they stop and stare..."). Yes not a huge new idea that cause people to rethink how they've thought of a subject but, still one that does a is helped a lot by the diverse music behind it. 

This of course leads us to what I like to think of as the "black sheep" of this album. The song entitled "Blue Ocean Floor," and this song amazes me. Starting with a reversed piano and three samples, an ocean, a clip, and a reversed shout. It's hear that JT shows of his vocal chops as the sound of a broken man, cutting between his normal singing voice and falsetto. Finally a bass and drum beat hits in as the pre-chorus picks up. Thankfully, this song doesn't ever truly pick up because it's an a very emotional song and if you listen closely to the lyrics you can truly hear the story JT is painting on the page. This is a very different sound and a beautiful song among an album of "have fun, leave your cares behind" which is what makes it so great if you refuse to hear anymore of the album because of "Suit & Tie" at least give this one a listen.

Wrap It Up

From the vivid instrumentation, the nostalgic vocal sound, and pure energetic vibe, in all, Justin Timblerake's new album The 20/20 Experience is an awesome feat in the pop music universe and definitely deserves a listen through for not only pop music enthusiasts but anyone who has a love for music. Sadly the only thing that hinders this album is a lack of depth on a majority of the album's song ideas keeping this from being a spectactular album. 

Well next time, we'll be flying back to the realm of rock and roll with Comedown Machine by The Strokes.

DECODED: 8.5 out of 10

As always please like, share and comment below!

BUY IT:  Let The Groove Get In, Mirrors, Blue Ocean Floor

 

HEAR IT: Pusher Love Girl, Tunnel Vision, That Girl, Dress On, Body Count

TRASH IT: Suit & Tie, Don't Hold The Wall, Strawberry Bubblegum, Spaceship Coupe

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such.
** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.