Album- Take the Crown
Artist- Robbie
Williams
Robbie Williams initially emerged onto the music scene as
one fifth of the highly popular boy band
Take That, but after leaving the group in the year 1995, Williams has found
prominent success as a solo artist, with six of his albums ranking in the top
100 best-selling in the United Kingdom and being nominated for more Brit awards
than any other artist. Take the Crown marked his tenth number 1 album in the
United Kingdom, but is this just a result of the singer attaining a mass
following, or has Williams really still got what it takes to create number 1
worthy albums?
Track 1- Be a Boy
Be a Boy is a forceful mid tempo offering from Williams that
sets the tone of the record nicely. We find the singer seemingly putting down
the people who may want him to quit music, as he states that he will be a boy
and young forever, even if people said it was leaving him. The concept maybe
doesn’t come through as strong as it could, but the sophistication of the
message is actually a positive quality of the track, and the only thing that
stands out a little weirdly is the fact that the singer comes across mature and
so doesn’t quite meld with the tracks lyrical ideology. Vocally singer plays
things on a simple vocal level, with the catchy ‘oh way oh’ hook almost giving
us this ethereal quality that is nice to listen to. The best quality of the
track is definitely the production, which blends together 80’s synth pop
melodies with epic rock guitar and some cool saxophone solos, and so whilst it
isn’t a attention grabbing opener, it is a nice, chilled but still sort of
vibrant track that sets the pace of the album going nicely.
3.5/5
Track 2- Gospel
Gospel ups the tempo and pace a little bit from Be a Boy but
is still in the mid tempo state of being. The song finds Williams singing of
how he used to be so excited and how this girl used to be out of his league
when he was young. The song lacks a really catchy hook but the lyrics are
strong in terms of the nostalgic quality that is conveyed and which some
listeners will find relatable. Williams also vocally brings both a freshness
and maturity to the track that brings out the lyrics a bit more powerfully,
although at times his voice does wear a bit thin, helped by the use of female
backing vocals towards the latter moments of the track. The songs production is
good with the glittering synth and punchy drums, giving a vibrant but
contemplative sound for the singers musings and hiding some of the songs issues
better than if the production was worse.
3.5/5
Track 3- Candy
The first of two tracks that Willaims co-wrote with Take
That member and friend Gary Barlow, Candy is a big, up tempo number that acted
as the first single from the record. The song finds Williams singing with
vibrancy about this girl who thinks that she is great, with the singer
metaphorically describing her as thinking she is made of candy. Sometimes the
lyrics just feel a bit stupid in the verses, but the chorus is unashamedly
catchy, particularly with the ‘hey ho’ hook. The song is also catchy because
Williams vocal has a lightness about it that makes it sound like he is truly having
fun singing this song, and therefore the listener can have fun with him. The
use of horns and strings within the production give a big sound to the track,
and coupled with the drums and funky guitar riffs, we have a sound that is just
very much pop driven and infectious. It may be designed to be quite a
commercial number, but sometimes you just can’t hide from a fun loving pop
number.
3.5/5
Track 4- Different
The second Barlow collaboration is more of a serious affair
and takes the record down to more of a mid tempo, pop ballad territory.
Williams here sings of the hard times he faces within this relationship,
promising his girl that he will be different, and praying that she will just
stay with him. The message is quite powerful and is centred around a strong pop
chorus, but unfortunately this kind of big number simply highlights the vocal
weakness of Williams, as he just isn’t good enough to make this the really
emotive number that it should be. The use of backing vocals once again helps
the singer out, and the songs production also gives a stirring quality to the
track through the use of strings and the heavy electric guitar riff. It isn’t a
terrible tune, but I don’t really understand why this was chosen as the records
second single.
2.5/5
Track 5- Shit on the
Radio
From the serious face of Different we go to a more up tempo
and happy pop state with Shit on the Radio, where Williams sings of pumping up
the volume and just dancing to the music on the radio, which he seems to want
to point out isn’t that good. The song is a bit too repetitive, but the message
is quite catchy, and it is perhaps catchy in the way that you could see this as
Williams simply making fun of himself. The more up tempo numbers are suited
better for the singers voice, as the weakness of his voice is made up for in
energy, and this song is also good because the grittiness of the singers voice
adds a feisty dimension to the track. The singers rocker sensibilities are
brought out a bit through the aggressive guitar riff that the song is built
around, and with some punchy synths thrown in that sound a bit 80’s inspired,
this another fun loving number you maybe shouldn’t enjoy, but can’t help
enjoying.
3.5/5
Track 6- All That I
Want
All That I Want keeps things tonally in the same vein as the
last track in terms of the blending of quite strong guitar riffs with punchy
synth notes, creating this catchy sound that does feel in some way indebted to
the past. Lyrically the track is another song that lacks a really catchy
chorus, but the message is cool, as Williams sings about how all he want is
this girl, and he just wants to sleep with her. The message will undeniably
appeal to the singers strong female fan base, and although his voice is
annoyingly distorted in the bridge, the song finds the singer giving us quite a
suave vocal performance. The only real issue I have with this song is that
coming after the last track, the similar sound makes it seem like this is an
album of few ideas.
3/5
Track 7- Hunting for
You
Building in a powerful way that will make this a great
number for Williams’ live show, Hunting for You is a stomping pop track with a
stadium edge. The song finds Williams singing of how he loves addictive things,
and he knows this girl is addictive and is just hunting for her. The message is
simple but conveyed through a strong chorus and some catchy ‘ooh’s’, and
vocally this is a stronger offering as it allows Williams to let go a little
bit not stretch his voice to far. The simple nature of the guitars makes way
for stomping drums that really grab your attention, meaning that not having
this performed live just seems like a waste.
3.5/5
Track 8- Into the
Silence
Taking things to a slightly more subdued state initially,
Into the Silence has this dramatic tone about it that makes the record a bit
more interesting and keeps things a bit more modern, particularly in terms of
the subtle synth notes and the orchestral whistling that is smartly used within
the production. The song finds Williams in more of a contemplative state, as he
tells this girl that she won’t break his heart and he won’t fall apart. The
messages is powerful and brings something different to the record, and in not
keeping things in such a ballad state as Different, this song doesn’t sound too
bad. At times his voice is stretched too far, but mostly the song shows off a
different side of Williams that is distinctly human, and at times the texture
of his voice is really quite nice to listen to.
3.5/5
Track 9- Hey Wow Yeah
Yeah
With a title like Hey Wow Yeah Yeah, this song doesn’t shy
away from being a fast paced, stomping number that is all about just having
fun. The song finds the singer employing a sing speak style that has become a
trend within todays modern pop world, and the lyrics of the song just find the
singer telling us to come along and play. The lyrics are a bit stupid and not
as sophisticated as the other songs, and although the singer’s vibrant
personality comes out, the track does feel like he is trying to hard to be
youthful, although the funky guitar riffs make for a good sound to the song.
2.5/5
Track 10- Not Like
the Others
Not Like the Others finds Williams in more a rock state has
more of an infectious energy than the former track without trying. The
production value of the song is probably it’s best asset, with the guitar riffs
and intense drum beats creating this simple but effective sound that shows an
energised Williams and which will make this another good live track. The lyrics
are a little more storytelling and finds Williams getting to grips with this
relationship and expressing the sentiment that him and his girl aren’t like
other people. The simple nature of the chorus is catchy, and although his
vocals are weak, Williams does put enough passion into the track to make the
song believable.
3.5/5
Track 11- Losers
(featuring Lissie)
The final track of the album is a more understated affair
that finds the singer surprisingly collaborating with singer songwriter Lissie.
The song is all about the idea of Williams and Lissie having lived life trying
to be what they see as winners, but now they accept who they are and don’t care
what other think. The message is pure and powerful despite its heavy place
within today’s pop world, and in keeping things going along very simply with
the steady drumbeats and acoustic guitar, the track is that much more effective
and builds to really get you invested in what the artists are singing. Vocally
the two artists meld together well, and although Lissie is definitely the
better of the two, Williams does manage to hold his own vocally, and so this is
a well-rounded track that acts as a good end to the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
Take the Crown is an album that shows that Robbie Williams
sadly isn’t the era defining pop star he once was, but for a game changing
artist that has made his stamp on the music world, he is definitely still great
in terms of how he can produce a solid pop album. At times the lyrical content
is sloppy and the vocals can do with more work, but Williams has never been
someone known for great vocals, and with and infectious personality that still
entices the listener, as well as some great production value from producer
Jacknife Lee, Take the Crown is still a deserved number 1 record that will keep
Williams within the music game.
7/10
Best Track- Losers
(featuring Lissie)
Worst Track- Hey Wow
Yeah Yeah
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