| |
RATING:  
SINGAPORE : When the Black Eyed Peas (BEP) returned after a five year break with "The E.N.D" some thought this meant it was The End.
Well, for some fans it was the end, as the new sound from the BEP was panned as a sell-out and downright bad.
It’s true that the latest creative endeavour by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie who all had a hand in the different compositions, takes some getting used to. But what’s wrong with being different?
The tracks bounce seamlessly one into another because as the album and the BEP state, the Energy Never Dies which is what E.N.D stands for.
At the same time there’s also an end in "The E.N.D", but only to open up to a new beginning.
"It's the end of the traditional era… it's also the beginning of a whole new cultural birth” said will.i.am on Dipdive, the new lifestyle engine closely associated with the frontman for the BEP.
“So the title, 'The E.N.D' is not just about a new Black Eyed Peas sound but a celebration that change is happening.”
What that means is, those who became instant fans after instant hits like “Where Is The Love” from “Elephunk” and its follow-up “Monkey Business” with download favourites like “My Humps” and “Don't Phunk With My Heart” have been destined for disappointment by the eclectic group.
Although the latest release has the Peas on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 20 consecutive weeks – the longest consecutive yet in the chart's 51 year history – with “I Gotta Feeling” (eight weeks at No.1) and “Boom Boom Pow” (12 weeks at No.1) the hits are hardly close to the BEP of old.
Having said that, you do get a feeling of déjà vu with tracks such as "Alive" and "Meet Me Halfway" that hint at vaguely familiar parts that seem to have been drawn from earlier BEP releases.
If you’re having the gang over, going for a long drive or prefer a solitary jog, you’d want the "The E.N.D" on hand.
Drawing inspiration from co-producers such as DJ David Guetta and the sound will.i.am found in underground dance clubs from native Los Angeles to Australia, "The E.N.D" plays out like a huge dance party with house music that mixes one into the other.
While almost every track is treated to an electro beat, with deft re-mastering and re-remixing, there’s also a different spin, literally, to each piece so you get a surprise just when you think you’ve put your finger on the music.
This is clear in “Imma Be” and “Electric City” with touches of reggae in the latter.
The works by early rappers the Sugarhill Gang and techno music generators Kraftwerk had an influence, the Peas said, on their latest project which offers spins from that era as well as a treatment for those who don’t know disco. Have a listen to “Out Of My Head” for a sound education.
BEP tunes have a habit of becoming adopted as anthems and while “One Tribe” opens with great promise as will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo preach brotherhood and acceptance, it just doesn’t have the elements to become a song of change for more than a handful in any tribe.
The opposite though can be said for “Party All the Time” with it simple recall ditty to “party all night, sleep all day”.
Another pleaser, at least in my books, is the “Now Generation” with its in-your-face rock treatment helmed by Fergie with great aplomb.
Surprisingly, “Rocking to the Beat” was rather monotonous while bonus track “Mare” was not much of a bonus.
"The E.N.D" says much about will.i.am, the executive producer of the album, who also had a hand in the recording and engineering.
While it would have been nice if Fergie’s strong vocal presence was not electronically tweaked in some pieces, it’s not to say that the treatment was an assault on the ears.
From start to the end, you will find that "The E.N.D" is f.u.n.
- CNA
|
