Album- The Truth
About Love (ITunes Deluxe Version)
Artist- P!nk
Four years after realesing the stellar album “Funhouse”,
Pink returned with “The Truth About Love”. And if there is one thing this album
says, it’s that motherhood hasn’t completely changed the girl we all came to
love. But that’s not too say that this is just another Pink album, as with this
set perhaps, for me anyway, comes a greater sense of vulnerability:
Track 1- Are We All
We Are
The chanting of the title of this track gives a whimsical
effect to the song that contrasts well with Pinks vocals. This is the Raise
Your Glass for 2012, and whilst it is nowhere near as good as that song, it’s a
simple opener that shows that Pink isn’t an artist who constantly has to sing
about love (despite the album title).
3/5
Track 2- Blow Me (One
Last Kiss)
The first singles off the album, this was the feisty opening
track that we all wanted from Pink, and she gladly delivered. With the cheeky
innuendo, the fist bumping chorus and steady build-up of the track, this is
Pink doing what she does best- being an angsty woman who just wants to rebel
and have fun. The only issue I have is that it is classic Pink. I read one
review that noted that it was “a departure from the Max Martin produced pop
Pink”. And whilst that may be so, it still feels just that little bit dated,
although still current.
3.5/5
Track 3-Try
This is the only song on the album that Pink does not
feature as a co-writer. This has to be highlighted in that one of the best new
songs of a career is one that she has not put as much artist input into. But
this shows that great songs do not have to be written by the artist themselves,
the artist simply has to connect with the track. And Pink definitely does this.
Lyrically it follows the same vein as her other work and so it has that
signature Pink feel, whilst vocally Pink truly gives a palpable sense of
vulnerability, with the chorus being powerful and contrasting with the slight
delicacy of the verses.
4.5/5
Track 4- Just Give Me
a Reason (featuring Nate Ruess)
It would have perhaps been better to give a more mid to up
tempo record this place on the album, as the balladry and deepness of this
track and the former song is a little bit overwhelming. But apart from that
this a great pop ballad that starts off nice and soft with piano
instrumentation and then transcends into a powerful emotional belter with the
arrival of drum and bass. The song lyrically unfolds as a kind of story of a
tug of war love, and whilst vocally Pink does sound beautiful, the track really
benefits from the vocals of Ruess, creating a duet that kind of gives both
sides of the story and shows that in a relationship each person can be just as
vulnerable as the other.
3.5/5
Track 5- True Love
(featuring Lily Rose Cooper)
This soft, mid tempo number is a sweet if also bitter
concoction that looks at how love isn’t always sunshine and roses but that just
means it’s true. The lyrics are that tug of war sentiment that can be seen
within the previous track but is given more bite here, whilst also finding a
great balance of sweetness and the good side of love. The “oh oh oh” moments
are a little sloppy but vocally Pink employs a great kind of vocal style in
which she stretches her voice but also sounds like she is merely having a conversation
with her partner. And the production has that bouncy feel to it, with a steady
drum undertone and toe tapping beats. The Lily Rose Cooper (formerly known as
Lily Allen) is also nice if short, with her more naturally delicate vocal tone
contrasting well with Pinks more earthy tone.
4/5
Track 6- How Come
You’re Not Here
This aggressive sounding song is all about a lover who is
never there, and has that real Pink bite to it but is cool in that it isn’t in
your face Pink sounding like it potentially could be. The vocal distortion in
the verses for me was a little weird on first listen, but after consideration I
actually feel that it gives the track that added something, with a good
contrast being established between the powerful chorus with it’s simple pop
hook and the more subtle verses. Whilst not in your face it does feature one of
the more rockier sounds on the record, with the clashing drums and nice guitar
solos in the chorus giving that sense of Pink just being sick of the fact her
lovers not here. It’s a playful but also potent song that quite a few people
may just identify with.
3.5/5
Track 7- Slut Like
You
The only Max Martin produced song on this album, this
definitely has a pop tinge to it. And with a
prominent feminist message about how it is wrong for women to sleep
around but okay for men and how this shouldn’t be right, Pink creates a fun
track that says “fuck you” to men around the world. It features a really
aggressive back beat that really enforces the overall message, and what’s great
is that whilst a strong and in many ways positive message, the song isn’t not
trying to be a bit silly, with the prolonged vowel sounds at the end of each
line in the chorus having that sense of frivolity.
3.5/5
Track 8- The Truth
About Love
The title track is a clunky, quite old feeling number that
details the real nature of that thing everyone wants called love. It’s great
lyrically in that it has that sense of tongue in cheek to it and focuses on
some of the finer details of love, and so it completely lives up to the song
title. And especially in terms of her vocal performance this truthfulness comes
through, with a lightness and just talking straight to you tone that draws a
good connection between listener and artist. The high pitched vocal in the
chorus is also good in giving that sense of the power of love but also the sense
of it being imperfect. The production is very simple with and just keeps a nice
subtle pace. And the final moments of the track with its lyrical repetition is
great in just expressing that the truth about love is just so darn difficult to
find.
3.5/5
Track 9- Beam Me Up
Beam Me Up is a vulnerable down tempo record concerning the
loss of a loved one. After the mid tempo, clunky setting of the previous
number, the simplicity and down tempo setting of this track is a welcome pace
changer and shows that she is just as delicate as she is feisty, cause she’s a
human being like you. The lyrics offer up some beautiful imagery and the vocal
feels passionate, particularly within the chorus. But the great thing about the
song is that it never tries to be too powerful, with the acoustic guitar
rhythms giving a chilled flavour to the song and the violins just lifting the
delicacy of the number to a nice level.
4/5
Track 10- Walk Of Shame
This track is a fast paced number
with a simple but powerful chorus, and it’s a bit of fun after the balladry of
the last track. The whistling affects within the tracks verses and post chorus
gives a whimsical edge to the track that plays well with the songs shameful
aspect, and the playfulness of the song is honest and just funny and makes a
simple thing into a catchy tune that never tries to be anything serious. And
the production is good in just giving a fast paced feel to the track and a bit
of grit to the chorus, with the vocal being light and again never trying to go
into that serious territory. It’s definitely a simple observation track that
many will think “yep, that was so me at that point in my life”.
3.5/5
Track 11- Here Comes
the Weekend (featuring Eminem)
This collaboration is all about the power of the weekend and
how when it comes we all just have fun. Whilst it’s not quite as exciting as
their previous collaboration on Eminem’s record, it’s still a good number that
invokes a sense of reckless hedonism. And the production is a powerful groove
that is a little more pop and sounds just that bit fresh. The verses are a bit
just go over your head but the chorus is a simple sing along section that can
easily get stuck in your head, especially when set alongside the feisty vocal
prowess of Pink. But Eminem’s fun and witty rap feature is a great throwback to
his old school less serious days and shows that he will always be able to be
just as fun as he is powerful and serious.
3.5/5
Track 12- Where Did
The Beat Go
The penultimate track on the album is in my opinion probably
the weakest track on the album. Whilst the song is lyrically astute, focusing
on the idea of the loss of love, the vocal lacks a little bit passion compared
to other tracks, and the beats are cool but again not as passionate as they
could be. But if this is the weakest track I could still by an album filled
with this type of song.
2.5/5
Track 13- The Great
Escape
The final track is a powerful ballad that is piano and
violin led, and was co-written by the brilliant songwriter Dan Wilson. Pink has
said this track for her was about the numbness of society today in which there
seems like there is a pill for everything. But it’s great in that I think that
it can have different meanings for different people, and this is one of the
best things about Pink- she is someone that truly connects with those who
listen to her music. And whilst the lyrics are poetic and brilliant in their
own right, they really come to life in a beautiful way through the delicate but
powerful vocal performance of Pink. And keeping the track minimal in terms of
production is great, with the build of the song building towards a powerful
finish in which Pink unleashes a vocal crescendo and the violins just make you
think “damn girl, you are just amazing”
4.5/5
Final Review
Pink is on her sixth studio album and yet she still sounds
so good. She pours her heart and soul into her record, even if that is a cliché.
And she creates such a coherent sound that you can’t help but listen to the
whole record. And with each album she also shows that she has not only found
her signature sound but still manages to push her musical boundaries just a
little, with new perspectives on life and new collaborators mixed in with the
old. Just a great album.
8.5/10
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