Album Review: Anderson .Paak - Ventura
Anderson .Paak's career trajectory has, as of late, seemed less than deliberate. After 2016's Malibu, a breakthrough masterpiece of neo-soul and Californian funk that finally capitalized on the attention he garnered from his prior features on Dr. Dre's Compton soundtrack, his decision to work with Dre again to produce a more rap-centric album raised concerns among some hardcore fans. It's not that Paak couldn't pull off a hip-hop record, but last year's Oxnard was practically devoid of the relaxed grooves that first endeared him to so many. The quality of the album was secondary to many fans and critics (though not all); they wanted the old Paak back, and must have no doubt felt relieved when he announced Ventura, an incredibly sudden followup that may or may not have been intended as the soulful sister album to Oxnard's grittier, political edge.
Regardless of how this new record is to be integrated into Paak's oeuvre, the decision to split up the two halves of Malibu's sound works out very much in Ventura's favor. Paak actually does rap occasionally on this album as well, with all the lyrical bite of Oxnard's highs on top of much more consistent instrumentals. Winners Circle quickly establishes itself as a lust-driven meditation (one of many on the album) backed up by impossibly catchy drumming and smooth guitar licks, yet any crude lines blend into the ambience as Paak's flow pulls the listener under his sway. In all, he comes off as amusing as he is charming, with bars like "They gon' have to come for me/Came out my comfort zone to be your missing company" and "Pick my feet off the floor, boy, I think I'm fallin'" sharing space with a sly reference to going "dumb like the President".
Despite similarly skillful rap passages sprinkled throughout the record, including multiple on the piano-driven Yada Yada concerning Paak's rise from humble beginnings and "Narrowly escapin' the holy war on the turf", the mic is immaculately stolen on the very first track, Come Home, by André 3000 with one of his best verses since his Outkast days. His syncopated flow only gets more and more impressive as the song continues, varying its tempo and cadence like a virtuoso playing Chopin as he muses on struggles in a long-term relationship with plenty of wordplay and intricate bars like "We fightin', we might need counseling/Possibly moreso me/Sounds to me frowns'll be grounds to leave/Hounds'll be lookin' for you before you drop a tear". Every time he or Paak reaches a crescendo, the production pulls back save for a hauntingly gorgeous piano refrain, elegant in its simplicity and the perfect complement to such stunning performances.
But much more dominant here, likely to the delight of many, is the psychedelic funk that made Malibu such a compelling listen, and despite Paak's struggle to escape from out under that album's shadow, Ventura encapsulates all the eccentricities of his style much better than his last project. King James, a sly reference to LeBron James' philanthropy, fuses an almost spoken-word narrative about racial injustice with masterful vocal harmonies to create a political statement more compelling than anything on Oxnard. His playful confidence when declaring "If they build a wall, let's jump the fence, I'm over this" is endearing, but it's the beautifully refined saxophone melody that elevates the track to the level only Paak seems to be able to reach.
Still, he could not achieve such heights alone, and his collaborators both blatant and subtle are as much an asset to Ventura's success as Paak is, from the aforementioned André 3000 to singer Sonyae Elise (also a guest on Oxnard) to, impressively, Smokey Robinson on Make It Better. Many of these tracks employ such soulful features merely as background voices, moving in and out to harmonize with Paak's lines or echo his words. Ultimately they do contribute to some of the album's less stellar moments, where Paak's relaxed approach to R&B turns downright lethargic, but even in these sedated drawls there are flashes of greatness in the instrumentals employed. Paak's live band, The Free Nationals, are used to great effect all over the album, yet the most immediately praiseworthy performances are largely given by Anderson himself, his drumming as accomplished as ever whether pushing the melodies forward or striking a more laid-back groove.
Paak's emotional style shines through particularly prominently on his most soulful work, yet the most poignant moment comes at the very end of the record, as he shares the stage with a deceased Nate Dogg on What Can We Do? using unreleased vocals from before the rapper's death in 2011. An artist already best remembered for his g-funk flow and unmatched talent for hooks, Nate is integrated into the track seamlessly, trading lines with Paak atop a saccharine beat full of bombastic percussion, horn stings, and (oddly) a sitar melody straight out of '60s psychedelia. Both artists bounce the chorus back and forth until Nate 'leaves the studio', scatting leisurely as he waltzes out while Paak calls after him desperately, clinging to the last vestiges of a talent gone before his time. A moment reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar's exchange with a forgotten recording of 2Pac at the end of To Pimp A Butterfly, the effect on Ventura is similarly touching, ending the song and the album off on a bittersweet note.
Where Malibu was a phenomenally diverse and varied collection of songs tethered together by Paak's emotive crooning and a seaside flavour, Ventura by comparison is a much less dynamic experience, almost one-dimensional at points. But comparing his albums to one another is, and has always been, an exercise in futility; when Paak is on point, he makes you wonder why anyone else even bother to compete with him. No one does neo-soul and funk quite the same way, and Ventura exists contently as a remarkable showcase of all his skills in concert with enough outside talent to keep things relatively fresh. In context with Malibu and Oxnard or not, there is more than enough to love here, and Anderson .Paak has proven beyond a doubt that he knows what he's doing.
8.5/10
Favourite Tracks: Come Home, Winners Circle, King James, What Can We Do?
https://open.spotify.com/album/0YF8PfcGbsKg5IaFyPnlyY